John James Audubon (attributed to)
French-American, 1785-1851
Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, circa 1812
Elizabeth Rankin Walmsley Collection, JJA.1940.57
This is a male, yellow-crowned night heron that we believe to be an example of John James Audubon’s taxidermy work. The heron is shown in a standing, alert position with both feet on a wooden platform decorated with dried grass. The heron’s neck is extended and its beak is closed. The bird has a distinctive yellow stripe running under its eyes. It is said that this heron is from Louisiana and was given by Audubon to his friend, Dr. Adam Rankin, of Henderson, Kentucky.
Where can you view this object? As of the writing of this post, the night heron is located in a display case in Gallery A of the Audubon Museum.
Questions? Contact museum curator Heidi Taylor-Caudill at 502-782-9716 or [email protected].
