Licensed by The National Audubon Society. "THE MOST FAMOUS AMERICAN NATURAL HISTORY IMAGE The "Wild Turkey" is widely considered the crowning achievement of Audubon's monumental Birds of America. The turkey is distinct from any European species and so ubiquitous that Benjamin Franklin had proposed it as the American national symbol, preferring it to the eagle. Not only is the symbolism of the Wild Turkey significant, but artistically, it is perhaps Audubon's masterpiece. The first plate to be engraved for Audubon's Birds of America, more care was lavished on its production than any other illustration. Audubon recorded detailed and insightful observations about the species, and expressed a distinct admiration for the creature through his writings".