Descourtilz worked for the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro. He was the son of French adventurer, botanist and naturalist Michel Etienne Descourtilz. The only other work that Descourtilz was known to have illustrated was his father's work Flore Pittoresque et Médicale des Antilles.

Set of four chromolithgraph plates of Birds of Prey, printed in colour and finished by hand. sheet size 44 x 61.5cm.

Sitwell Fine Bird Books: 90