Guy Tudor - Bird Illustrator

 Another Passing Worth Noting
   I did not recognize the name "Guy Tudor", but the headline above his obituary caught my eye and he is worth our attention.

"Guy Tudor, Whose Art Brought Obscure Birds to Life, Dies at 91," Guy Trebay, New York Times, July 25, 2026.
   "Guy Tudor, a self-taught ornithologist, wildlife illustrator and MacArthur fellow whose field guides to birds trained generations of naturalists and citizen scientists about how to distinguish a Rufous-breasted Leaftosser from a Lesser Hornero, died on July 14 in Greenport, N.Y. He was 91.
   Digital avian databases like eBird were far in the future when Mr. Tudor first set about documenting swaths of the avian world in watercolors and gouaches renowned for their delicacy and precision, and for the artist’s singular knack for capturing the quiddities of winged creatures with paint and brush….
   It was Mr. Tudor’s ability “to capture the unique behavior, motion and exact plumage of obscure species” that earned him a MacArthur fellowship in 1990, said Terence Clarke, an artist and naturalist who was a friend of Mr. Tudor’s....
   “People claim Guy was a curmudgeon, but it’s really that he was alarmed — and rightly so — by what is happening to the natural world,” Mr. Gwynne added. “He always used to say, ‘The infidels have invaded my church, and they’ve almost reached the altar.’”

   I wondered if the Western Libraries had any of his books and took a look. Here are some works where you can find Tudor's illustrations:

1.The Birds of South America
2.Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America: The Passerines
3.A Guide to the Birds of Columbia
4.A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela
5.Ornithology
and there is even one about butterflies- 
6.Butterflies of the East Coast : An Observer's Guide.
   "Here is an accessible, informative, and highly illustrated book that offers a fresh view of butterflies in America's Ease Coast states, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Appalachians. In addition to providing a wealth of facts and photos, this book is the first to furnish detailed and up-to-date photo-illustrated information on the host plants favored by particular species. With 234 full-page species accounts and accompanying range maps, plus nearly 900 large-size color photos, it is an essential reference work for field observers, gardeners, educators, and conservation managers - or anyone interested in appreciating the lepidopteran world close at hand."
   Check the catalogue of the Western Libraries. These books are either in the Taylor Library or the storage facility. 
   I have written other posts about bird books that can be found in the Western Libraries. (Once again, check before you go to campus.)
Bird Art - John Gould
Bird Illustrators - Louis Agassiz Fuertes
 If you are more interested in FISH have a look at Western's ANGLING BOOKS.

The Bonus: Don't Forget About AFAR - The Advanced Facility for Avian Research-

For the Birds.