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One of America's most influential ornithologists, Ludlow Griscom (1890-1959) ushered in the shift to modern birding with binoculars with his conviction that 'one need not shoot a bird to know what it was.' Drawing on the writings of Griscom and his contemporaries, this biography reveals the complex man who popularized birdwatching as a more democratic, less aristocratic alternative to hunting and influenced a generation of notable future 'birders,' including Roger Tory Peterson, Joseph J. Hickey, and Allan Cruickshank. During the ten years he was a curator of birds for the American Museum of Natural History, Griscom set forth principles of field identification that revolutionized birding as a hobby and a sport. He also became an international authority on the birds of Central and South America, as well as the local authority on avian populations in the New York City and Boston areas.

Davis vividly portrays this odd, often abrasive, man whose brusque and assertive manner tended to polarize associates into pro- and anti'Griscom factions. He follows Griscom's involvement with such groups as the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, and Ducks Unlimited. Griscom eloquently fought for the establishment of federal preserves at Plum Island and Monomoy in Massachusetts. He also spoke against tendencies toward petty competition among different environmental groups. This first biography of America's first birder captures the tenor of an almost maddeningly active life. William E. Davis, Jr., is a professor in the Division of Science and Mathematics at Boston University. B&W photos.