Whose Bird? Men and Women Commemorated in the Common Names of Birds

About this book

Please note that this is an unmodified print-on-demand reprint of the 2003 original without updates.

Birders often wonder about the people commemorated in the names of many of our familiar bird species. Was Bonaparte's Gull named after Napoleon? Was the Pallas who named Pallas' Warbler the same individual as the discoverer of Pallas' Sandgrouse, and if so did he discover the two birds at the same time, on the same journey? Who was the Lady Amherst who gave her name to one of the world's most spectacular yet secretive pheasants? This book answers these questions and many more by presenting a potted biography of every individual who has given their name to a species of bird.The biographies detail the life and work of the individual involved, often revealing fascinating insights about the nature of bird study and exploration in the centuries gone by. 2235 birds and 1124 individuals are covered in the texts, and all available details are given for the handful of names which could not be traced. This reference is illustrated throughout with portraits of the individuals concerned and line drawings of the birds that bear their names.

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Biography

Bo Beolens is perhaps best known as his online personae, the 'Grumpy Old Birder' and the 'Fatbirder'. After a successful career in community work and managing various charities, he retired to his home county of Kent where he spends all his free time birding or pursuing his lifelong interest in the natural world. He is co-author of three eponym dictionaries, and has recently published a book of memoirs.

Michael Watkins worked in London for 45 years as a shipbroker. No longer active in the business, he is still associated with it as a tutor for the industry's professional body, the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. Since retiring, he has had more time for birding and travelling, though never quite enough.