Lady Mary Cecil, 2^nd Baroness Amehurst of Hackney was an archaeologist and ornithologist. She had developed a passion for Egypt from childhood, travelling to the country for the first time in 1871. Her father had built a large library and collection of Egyptian antiquities at the family home Didlington Hall in Norfolk. The family went on to sponsor Howard Carter’s burgeoning career in Egyptology following his visit to the estate to study antiquities in 1891.

In 1901, Cecil travelled to Egypt where she was encouraged by Carter to lead an expedition to excavate tombs at Qubbet-el-Hawa near Aswan. She returned to Egypt in 1903 to undertake further digs. While on this second visit, she compiled this book on Egyptian birdlife, which was published in 1904.