The high end of British fine antique bird prints is dominated by two ornithologists, John Gould and Prideaux John Selby.
Both of these well known figures set out at different times with the same task. They both wanted to create a definitive pictorial record of British bird life represented in their actual size. John Gould and his wife Elizabeth extended their massive quest world wide while Selby maintained his focus on the British Isles.
The results make an interesting comparison as both are highly accurate representations of the birds but using different printing techniques.
Your preference will be entirely subjective and largely based on aesthetics. Are you attracted by Selby's beautifully crafted etchings:OR……….. Gould's stone lithographs. Both are exquisitely hand coloured and even if you are not remotely interested in ornithology you cannot escape their attraction. Have a look through a few examples currently available and decide for your self - if you can!