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History Of Ornithology

The books are listed by publication date with the most recent at the top.

Warriors, Dilettantes and Businessmen: Bird Collectors During the Mid-19th to Mid-20th Centuries in Southern Africa

W.R.J. Dean

2017

"Dr Richard Dean explores the collections, and their collectors, of bird specimens between 1850-1950 in southern Africa, a period when museum collections were growing rapidly. He highlights how humans' fascination with birds led to studies of birds and the science of ornithology. Ornithologists working in museums and other institutions began to rely on collections of birds for their studies. There are interesting snippets of information in Warriors, Dilettantes and Businessmen – did you know that birds were used for decoration and magic charms, that their earliest recorded use was related to cultural significance, that mummified birds were used as grave goods by the ancient Egyptians and that a rather strange use of large, preserved birds was as food covers at banquets? Warriors, Dilettantes and Businessmen is a reassuring read for bird lovers highlighting that bird collections are being cared for in a century where we are facing climate change, the disappearance of large bird species and other habitat losses. Dr Dean, through his book, keeps these collections alive."

A History of Cornish Ornithology: The Path to Conservation

Colin Rees

Tor Mark Press

"A History of Cornish Ornithology begins with an overview of Cornwall's distinctive landscape and other salient features. It then progresses through pre-historic times, highlights developments in the mediaeval period, and celebrates the accelerated interest in ornithology in subsequent centuries. The great Cornish naturalists Moyle, Carew, Borlase, Couch, Rodd and Ryves take centre stage, and A History of Cornish Ornithology explores their influence on Cornishmen as well as influences on them from the rest of Britain. The evolving roles played by the Cornwall Bird Watching Preservation Society and The Cornwall Wildlife Trust are described and the text enlivened with reports of rarities and common species, accounts of influential personalities (birds and people), and attempts to stem the erosion of birdlife, including accounts of establishing reserves. Along the way, the chapters examine the dramatically changing status of bird populations and their habitats and the valiant efforts to assure wildlife protection in the face of industrialisation and agricultural practices and, more recently, climate change. The last chapters review the efforts of our own nascent century and speculate about the future of ornithology in Cornwall and the rest of the country."

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Birders of Africa: History of a Network

Nancy J. Jacobs

2016

"In this unique and unprecedented study of birding in Africa, historian Nancy Jacobs reconstructs the collaborations between well-known ornithologists and the largely forgotten guides, hunters, and taxidermists who worked with them. Drawing on ethnography, scientific publications, private archives, and interviews, Jacobs asks: How did white ornithologists both depend on and operate distinctively from African birders? What investment did African birders have in collaborating with ornithologists? By distilling the interactions between European science and African vernacular knowledge, this stunningly illustrated work offers a fascinating examination of the colonial and postcolonial politics of expertise about nature."

Scarlet Experiment: Birds and Humans in America

Jeff Karnicky

2016

"Since the beginning of the modern conservation movement in the mid-nineteenth century, human understanding of and interaction with birds has changed profoundly. In Scarlet Experiment, Jeff Karnicky traces the ways in which birds have historically been seen as beautiful creatures worthy of protection and study and yet subject to experiments – scientific, literary, and governmental – that have irrevocably altered their relationship with humans. This examination of the management of bird life in America from the nineteenth century to today, which focuses on six bird species, finds that renderings of birds by such authors as Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Don DeLillo, and Christopher Cokinos, have also influenced public perceptions and actions. Scarlet Experiment speculates about the effects our decisions will have on the future of North American bird ecology."

Ten Thousand Birds: Ornithology since Darwin

Tim Birkhead, Jo Wimpenny, Bob Montgomerie

2014

"Ten Thousand Birds provides a thoroughly engaging and authoritative history of modern ornithology, tracing how the study of birds has been shaped by a succession of visionary and often-controversial personalities, and by the unique social and scientific contexts in which these extraordinary individuals worked. This beautifully illustrated book opens in the middle of the nineteenth century when ornithology was a museum-based discipline focused almost exclusively on the anatomy, taxonomy, and classification of dead birds. It describes how in the early 1900s pioneering individuals such as Erwin Stresemann, Ernst Mayr, and Julian Huxley recognized the importance of studying live birds in the field, and how this shift thrust ornithology into the mainstream of the biological sciences. The book tells the stories of eccentrics like Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, a pathological liar who stole specimens from museums and quite likely murdered his wife, and describes the breathtaking insights and discoveries of ambitious and influential figures such as David Lack, Niko Tinbergen, Robert MacArthur, and others who through their studies of birds transformed entire fields of biology."

The Development of Ornithology and Species Knowledge in Central Europe

Jürgen Haffer, Hand Hudde, Brian Hillcoat

2014

From the abstract: "This work has two distinct aspects, as suggested in its title: an outline of the history of Central European ornithology, concluding with the worldwide influence of the 'New Avian Biology' of Erwin Stresemann, and an account of development in the knowledge of European bird species illustrated by extracts from the works of selected ornithologists up to the 19th century. How this increased knowledge was reflected and refined in the gradual rise in the number of species identified and named is shown in three chronological online Appendices and many illustrations."

In the Field, Among the Feathered: A History of Birders and Their Guides

Thomas R. Dunlap

2012

"In the Field, Among the Feathered tells the history of field guides to birds in America from the Victorian era to the present, relating changes in the guides to shifts in science, the craft of field identification, and new technologies for the mass reproduction of images. Drawing on his experience as a passionate birder and on a wealth of archival research, Thomas Dunlap shows how the twin pursuits of recreation and conservation have inspired birders and how field guides have served as the preferred method of informal education about nature for well over a century. The book begins with the first generation of late 19th-century birdwatchers who built the hobby when opera glasses were often the best available optics and bird identification was sketchy at best. As America became increasingly urban, birding became more attractive, and with Roger Tory Peterson's first field guide in 1934, birding grew in both popularity and accuracy. By the 1960s recreational birders were attaining new levels of expertise, even as the environmental movement made birding's other pole, conservation, a matter of human health and planetary survival. Dunlap concludes by showing how recreation and conservation have reached a new balance in the last 40 years, as scientists have increasingly turned to amateurs, whose expertise had been honed by the new guides, to gather the data they need to support habitat preservation."

A Two-Hundred Year History of Ornithology, Avian Biology, Bird Watching, and Birding in Kansas (1810–2010)

Thomas G. Shane

2012

"The first two centuries of bird study in Kansas essentially can be split into 50 year intervals since Zebulon Pike's 1810 publication, an account of his explorations. The first 50 years were records of explorers crossing Kansas collecting bird specimens; many were Army doctors. The second half of the 19th Century was a continuation of explorers and those affiliated with museums obtaining bird specimens and the establishment of colleges and universities with faculty members also collecting birds and making observations. The first half of the 20th Century was a period of college faculties primarily composed of vertebrate zoologists who had a few graduate students who studied birds. By 1960, active graduate programs were in place with many professors specializing in taxonomy, physiology, ecology, wildlife biology and behavior which continue to this day. Bird watchers and birders have also played an important role in the study of Kansas birds and continue to do so into the 21st Century."

All About Birds: A Short Illustrated History of Ornithology

Valérie Chansigaud

2010

"This richly illustrated book tells the fascinating story of ornithology from ancient times to the present. Filled throughout with paintings, drawings, photographs, and diagrams, many of them in brilliant color, All about Birds is a fast-paced chronological account of the personalities and milestones that have shaped this most popular of sciences - from Aristotle, Audubon, and Darwin to Peterson and Sibley. These key figures and events are also documented in a unique twenty-page illustrated color timeline at the end of the book. Brief individual chapters cover antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the seventeenth through twentieth centuries. With its beautiful design and illustrations, and its concise and informative text, this lively book will delight anyone who loves birds."

Birds in Books: Three Hundred Years of South Asian Ornithology: A Bibliography

Aasheesh Pittie

2010

"The history of South Asian ornithology spans three centuries and records over 1200 species of birds. This is the passionate work of hundreds of amateur and professional ornithologists. The popular as well as scientific documentation of this region's avifauna is prodigious. For the first time, this vast body of work is brought together here, in this detailed, meticulously researched, and annotated bibliography. Over 1700 books are listed, covering the ornithology of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet - a region encompassing the Oriental and Palaearctic realms. The bibliography embraces various types of work: from travelogues, field guides, species monographs, country handbooks, regional avifaunas, multi-volume ornithological works, and folios of art, to simple checklists. In addition, it provides brief glimpses into the lives of over 200 ornithologists. For comprehensive accessibility, it includes three indexes enabling readers to reach specific items of information with ease."

Contributions to the History of North American Ornithology,
Volume III

Editor: William E. Davis Jr and Jerome A. Jackson

2010

"This volume contains chapters on the first 60 years of the Massachusetts Audubon Society; ornithology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Tall Timbers Research Station, and Archbold Biological Station; ornithology in Delaware and the Delaware Museum of Natural History; and ornithology at Manomet Bird Observatory. It concludes with biographical chapters on John Richardson and early Saskatchewan bird banders."

The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth

Richard Conniff

2010

"This is the story of the adventurers who risked death to discover strange life forms in the farthest corners of Earth. Beginning with Linnaeus, a colourful band of explorers made it their mission to travel and bring back astonishing new life forms. Acclaimed science writer Richard Conniff brings these daredevil "species seekers" to life. Alongside their globe-spanning tales of adventure, he recounts some of the most dramatic shifts in the history of human thought. At the start, everyone accepted that the Earth had been created for our benefit. People weren't sure where vegetable ended and animal began, they couldn't classify species and didn't understand the causes of disease. But all that changed as the species seekers introduced us to the pantheon of life on Earth-and our place within it."

The History of Ornithology

Valerie Chansigaud

2009

Originally published by Delachaux & Niestle in Paris in 2007 as Histoire de L'Ornithologie.

"This stunning book examines the development of ornithology from ancient times until the present day. There are chapters on ancient times, the middle ages, the renaissance, and each century from 17th until 20th. Each details the big names of the age, including the likes of the very famous Gilbert White, John James Audubon, Alfred Russell Wallace and Roger Tory Peterson, and many ornithologists reflected in bird species names - Pallas, Blyth, Steller, etc. On every page there are beautiful artworks of the birds painted by the ornithologists as well as many portraits of the people in question. At the end of the book, a 20-page timeline details every significant ornithological event during the past two millennia, making this book required reading for anyone interested in modern-day ornithology and its roots in the past."

Wings and Rings: A History of Bird Migration Studies in Europe

Richard Vaughan

2009

The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology

Tim Birkhead

2008

"For thousands of years people have been fascinated by birds, and today that fascination is still growing. In 2007 bird-watching is one of the most popular pastimes, not just in Britain, but throughout the world, and the range of interest runs from the specialist to the beginner. In The Wisdom of Birds, Birkhead takes the reader on a journey that not only tells us about the extraordinary lives of birds - from conception and egg, through territory and song, to migration and fully fledged breeder - but also shows how, over centuries, we have overcome superstition and untested ‘truths' to know what we know, and how recent some of that knowledge is. It was only in the nineteenth century that the ancient belief that swallows hibernated under water (!) finally gave way to general acceptance of the facts of migration. In the same century of dazzling experimental science, even Darwin chose not to dwell on the sexual promiscuity of female birds to spare the blushes of his daughter, who was helping to correct the proofs of The Descent of Man. Conceived for a general audience, and illustrated throughout with more than 100 exquisitely beautiful illustrations, many of them rarely, if ever, seen before, The Wisdom of Birds is a book full of stories, knowledge and unexpected revelations."

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Bird Banding in North America: The First Hundred Years

Editor: Jerome A. Jackson, William E. Davis and John Tautin

2008

"This book deals with the early history of bird banding; the role of banding organizations; the Bird Banding Laboratory; the role of bird banding in population monitoring; restoration of declining or extirpated populations; quantitative population ecology; management of migratory bird hunting; avian toxicology; understanding habitat use; international waterbird conservation; investigation of disease, safety, and economics; and behavioral research."

Contributions to the History of Australasian Ornithology

Editor: William E. Davis, Jr., Harry F. Recher, Walter E. Boles, and Jerome A. Jackson

2008

Contents:

• A Man of Great Zeal and Assiduity: The Pioneering Naturalist John Gilbert in Australia, 1838-1845 - Clemency Fisher
• Ornithology at the Auckland Museum, New Zealand - B.J. Gill
• A History of Ornithology at the Western Australian Museum - R.E. Johnstone
• The Role of the Commonwealth Scientific and Indutrial Organisation (CSIRO) in Australian Ornithology - Ian Rowley
• The Changing Faces of Systematics and Biogeography in Australian Ornithology: A Young Turk's View - Leo Joseph
• Establishing a National Reference Collection of Birds: The First Forty Years of the Birds of the Australian National Wildlife Collection - Richard Schodde
• The History of Threatened Birds in Australia and its Offshore Islands - Stephen T. Garnett and Gabriel M. Crowley.

Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding

Scott Weidensaul

Hardback 2007

Paperback 2008

"Of a Feather traces the colorful origins of American birding: the frontier ornithologists who collected eggs between border skirmishes; the society matrons who organized the first effective conservation movement; and the luminaries with checkered pasts, such as Alexander Wilson (a convicted blackmailer) and the endlessly self-mythologizing John James Audubon. Scott Weidensaul also recounts the explosive growth of modern birding that began when an awkward schoolteacher named Roger Tory Peterson published A Field Guide to the Birds in 1934. Today birding counts iPod-wearing teens and obsessive "listers" among its tens of millions of participants, making what was once an eccentric hobby into something so completely mainstream it's now (almost) cool. This compulsively readable popular history will surely find a roost on every birder's shelf."

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History of Ornithology

Peter Bircham

Collins

2007

"What did we know about birds a thousand years ago, and how has our understanding developed? 'A History of Ornithology' offers a complete history of birdwatching in Britain, a classic for every nature lover's bookshelf. Today there is a huge interest in birdwatching as a hobby, and over the years amateur birdwatchers have contributed enormously to our understanding of the birds around us. At the same time, ornithology has developed as a science - in the field, in the laboratory, and in the universities - and birds have played their part in pushing forward the frontiers of biological knowledge. Peter Bircham looks at the history of British ornithology, spanning a millennium and exploring along the way the first bird book, the earliest British lists, various notable scientists, collectors and artists, the first studies of migration, and the challenges presented by classification. He traces the development of the British Ornithologists' Union and other organisations, and finishes with a review of the current state of ornithology in Britain. 'A History of Ornithology' is an authoritative and engrossing account, packed full of fascinating stories - not only about the birds but also about the many colourful characters who have studied them through the ages. This beautifully illustrated book will hold great appeal both for the student of ornithology and for the enthusiastic amateur naturalist."

All Creatures: Naturalists, Collectors, and Biodiversity, 1850-1950

Robert E. Kohler

2006

"Here a distinguished historian of science tells the story of the modern discovery of biodiversity. Robert Kohler argues that the work begun by Linnaeus culminated around 1900, when collecting and inventory were organized on a grand scale in natural history surveys. Supported by governments, museums, and universities, biologists launched hundreds of collecting expeditions to every corner of the world. Kohler conveys to readers the experience and feel of expeditionary travel: the customs and rhythms of collectors' daily work, and its special pleasures and pains. A novel twist in this story is that survey collecting was rooted not just in science but also in new customs of outdoor recreation, such as hiking, camping, and sport hunting. These popular pursuits engendered a wide scientific interest in animals and plants and inspired wealthy nature-goers to pay for expeditions. The modern discovery of biodiversity became a reality when scientists' desire to know intersected with the culture of outdoor vacationing. General readers as well as scholars will find this book fascinating."

A Bird in the Bush: A Social History of Birdwatching

Stephen Moss

2004

"Stephen Moss's book traces the history and development of this singular pastime, on both sides of the Atlantic, all the way from Gilbert White, the country parson who wrote The Natural History of Selborne in the 18th century, through the British servicemen who studied Black Redstarts from their German prisoner-of-war camp, to today's driven life-listers and twitchers who think nothing of hurtling the length of the UK by planes, automobiles and even boats in pursuit of a Grey-Tailed Tattler temporarily landfallen in the Shetland Isles."

A Concise History of Ornithology

Michael Walters

2003

"The first modern history of ornithology, tracing its development from the 17th century, concentrating on those figures who have been most influential in the development of this science as well as other lesser-known figures. The book begins by surveying writings on birds by the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Romans and by individuals writing during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Age of Exploration. It then assesses such ornithological pioneers as Linnaeus, Brisson, and Buffon. Subsequent chapters discuss the expeditions of the eighteenth century; the work of the Germans and the Dutch; the beginnings of ornithology in America; the development of nineteenth-century systems of classification; the new theories that emerged from the Far East; and the great advances made in the twentieth century."

A History of Ornithology

Michael Walters

2003

"This book is aimed at the reader with an interest in birds, who is interested in learning more about the people who have been most influential in the development of ornithology. The book explores the history of ornithology from earliest times to the present day, including the lives and work of such people as Linnaeus, Darwin and Wallace, as well as many other lesser-known figures. It will set the agenda for the study of the history of ornithology for the next generation."

Petronia: Fifty Years of Post-Independence Ornithology in India

J.C. Daniels and Gavatri W. Ugra

2003

"Co-published with the Bombay Natural History Society, this commemorative volume in honor of Ali who had been involved with the history society since he was a child comprises 24 articles on ornithology by his friends, colleagues, and students."

The History of Ornithology in Virginia

Denis W. Johnston

2003

"Host to a large and diverse bird population as well as a long human history, Virginia is arguably the birthplace of ornithology in North America. The result of over a decade of research, this work addresses this element of the state's natural history."

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

Bo Beolens and Michael Watkins

2003

"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."

The Bird Collectors

Barbara Mearns and Richard Mearns

Poyser

2002

"This book examines the history and uses of bird skin collections and the many colorful explorers involved in their development. It is the first and only treatment of the subject, and appeals to a worldwide audience. The book covers all parts of the world, with particular focus on Europe, USA, and Africa. The Bird Collectors contains more than 160 period photographs, many never before published, showing famous collectors and ornithological expeditions."

The Early History of Ornithology in Texas

Stanley D. Castro

2002

Part 1: Birds Reported by Missionaries and Explorers in Texas, 1535-1778

Part 2: Cultural Ornithology of the Indians of Texas

The Flight of the Emu: A Hundred Years of Australian Ornithology 1901-2001

Libby Robin

2001

"The Flight of the Emu tells the story of Australian birding in the twentieth century. The Emu is the journal of the former Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union, now known as Birds Australia. In this engrossing book, Libby Robin describes the achievements and the increasing importance of ornithology in Australia–both amateur and professional–over the past hundred years. From Bass Strait to the Kimberley, collectors have searched for and identified hundreds of species of Australian birds. This is a discipline in which exceptional amateur contributions have helped to shape science. Libby Robin explores the tensions between amateur and professional ornithologists, and discusses issues of conservation and environmental management, scientific collecting, smuggling and bird protection. She tells stories from campouts, expeditions and congresses derived from oral history, letters and ‘reading between the lines' of published reports. The search for the Night Parrot, the protection of the Lyrebird, the identification of the Noisy Scrub-bird, have all involved enthusiastic bird lovers as well as scientists. Ornithological research takes place in museums, universities, government agencies, community groups and the CSIRO. Bird-banding has introduced many people to the passion of ornithology, as well as providing a method of valuable data-collection about birds. The Flight of the Emu also details international scientific expeditions and the influences of Australian birds on international debates."

Early Southwest Ornithologists 1528-1900

Dan L. Fischer

2001

"This book identifies more than 100 early ornithologists and explorers who entered the Southwest from 1528 to 1900, all of whom have contributed in significant ways to our understanding of the region's avian life. Dan Fischer identifies those individuals who documented the natural history of the Southwest and summarizes their contributions to our knowledge about the region's birds - particularly through discovering and naming them. He tells why the ornithologists came to the region, what they saw, who described and named the new discoveries, and who were the first to sketch or paint new birds. Beginning with accounts of the earliest Spanish explorers such as Cabeza de Vaca and Coronado, Fischer considers all who visited the region through the end of the nineteenth century, including such renowned naturalists as William Gambel, John McCown, Adolphus Heermann, Elliott Coues, Charles Bendire, and Henry Henshaw. In between, he recalls English mining speculators, French traders, army explorers, railroad surveyors, and more - all of whom contributed to ornithological knowledge. Although focusing on ornithologists, Fischer's text reveals the wonderful variety of avian species in the region and their relationship with human history. Featuring a comprehensive bibliography, illustrations, and maps that portray the westward march of exploration, it is a major sourcebook for southwestern ornithology and an essential volume for anyone interested in birds."

Birds, Birders And Birdwatching 1899-1999: Celebrating One Hundred Years Of The South Australian Ornithological Association

Roger Collier et al

2000

Contributions to the History of North American Ornithology,
Volume II

Editor: William E. Davis Jr and Jerome A. Jackson

2000

"The history of American Ornithology at universities, museums, government agencies, societies, and foundations written by key figures at those institutions."

Finding Order in Nature: The Naturalist Tradition from Linnaeus to E. O. Wilson

Paul Lawrence Farber

Johns Hopkins University Press

2000

"Since emerging as a discipline in the middle of the eighteenth century, natural history has been at the heart of the life sciences. It gave rise to the major organizing theory of life - evolution - and continues to be a vital science with impressive practical value. Central to advanced work in ecology, agriculture, medicine, and environmental science, natural history also attracts enormous popular interest. In Finding Order in Nature Paul Farber traces the development of the naturalist tradition since the Enlightenment and considers its relationship to other research areas in the life sciences. Written for the general reader and student alike, the volume explores the adventures of early naturalists, the ideas that lay behind classification systems, the development of museums and zoos, and the range of motives that led collectors to collect. Farber also explores the importance of sociocultural contexts, institutional settings, and government funding in the story of this durable discipline."

A Passion for Birds: American Ornithology after Audubon

Mark V. Barrow, Jr

1998

"In the decades following the Civil War - as industrialization, urbanization, and economic expansion increasingly reshaped the landscape - many Americans began seeking adventure and aesthetic gratification through avian pursuits. By the turn of the century, hundreds of thousands of middle-and upper-class devotees were rushing to join Audubon societies, purchase field guides, and keep records of the species they encountered in the wild. Mark Barrow vividly reconstructs this story not only through the experiences of birdwatchers, collectors, conservationists, and taxidermists, but also through those of a relatively new breed of bird enthusiast: the technically oriented ornithologist. In exploring how ornithologists struggled to forge a discipline and profession amidst an explosion of popular interest in natural history, A Passion for Birds provides the first book-length history of American ornithology from the death of John James Audubon to the Second World War. Barrow shows how efforts to form a scientific community distinct from popular birders met with only partial success. The founding of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1883 and the subsequent expansion of formal educational and employment opportunities in ornithology marked important milestones in this campaign. Yet by the middle of the twentieth century, when ornithology had finally achieved the status of a modern profession, its practitioners remained dependent on the services of birdwatchers and other amateur enthusiasts. Environmental issues also loom large in Barrow's account as he traces areas of both cooperation and conflict between ornithologists and wildlife conservationists"

The Rhetoric of Science in the Evolution of American Ornithological Discourse

John T. Battalio

Ablex Publishing

1998

"Covers: the emergence of American ornithological discourse; discourse models for natural history and experimental science; diachronic changes; and more."

Discovering Birds: The Emergence of Ornithology as a Scientific Discipline, 1760-1850

Paul Lawrence Farber

1997

Originally published as The Emergence of Ornithology as a Scientific Discipline: 1760–1850 in 1982.

"In this case study of the history of ornithology, the author rejects the view that 18th-century natural history disappeared with the rise of 19th-century biology. He demonstrates interesting continuities: as natural history evolves into individual sciences (botany, geology and zoology) and specialities (entymology and ichthyology), the study of birds emerged as a distinct scientific discipline that remained observational and taxonomic. Ornithologists continued to see one of their primary tasks as classification, and they found no need to alter their approach. They were aided at the end of the 18th century as colonization and exploration brought new data - a plethora of exotic and previously unknown birds. By the mid-19th century, ornithology had become a scientific discipline with international experts, a large empirical base, and a rigorous methodology of watching and cataloging."

Contributions to the History of North American Ornithology

Editor: William E. Davis Jr and Jerome A. Jackson

1995

"The history of American Ornithology at universities, museums, government agencies, societies, and foundations written by key figures at those institutions."

The Naturalist in Britain: A Social History

David Elliston Allen

2nd edition

1994

"The author traces the evolution of natural history from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries, from the "herbalizings" of apprentice apothecaries to the establishment of national reserves and international societies to the emergence of natural history as an organized discipline. Along the way he describes the role of scientific ideas, popular fashion, religious motivations, literary influences, the increase of leisure time and disposable income, and the tendency of like-minded persons to form clubs. His comprehensive and entertaining discussion creates a vibrant portrait of a scientific movement inextricably woven into a particular culture."

Archives of Natural History, Volume 20, Part 2: Papers from the History of Ornithology Conference, Liverpool, 1992

Editor: A Wheeler

1993

Papers from the History of Ornithology conference held in Liverpool during September 1992. The collection of papers comprise many different subjects and approaches covering a wide period of history, from ancient but previously unpublished pictures of the Dodo to the adventures of the first class naturalist but socially doomed John MacGillivray.

Birds, Discovery and Conservation: 100 Years of the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club

Editor: David Snow

British Ornithologists' Club

1992

"The British Ornithologists' Club was founded in 1892 and its 'Bulletin'" started publication at the same time. Over the years, the 'Bulletin' has had an important influence in the world of ornithology - particularly on its taxonomy. In a sample of 100 species that had, over the last hundred years, been recognised as new to science, it was discovered that 49 of them had first been announced in its pages. The 'Bulletin' is not just devoted to taxonomy - exploration, migration, ecology, behaviour, conservation, as well as the British list have all been covered in its pages. The purpose of this anthology is to give all birders a chance to savour some of the articles that have over the last hundred years appeared in its pages. Where appropriate, modern experts have added a commentary."

A Flying Start: Commemorating Fifty Years of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand 1940-1990

Editor: B.D. Heather & B.J. Gill

Random Century

1990

"A collection of essays by a diverse range of members of the Society. The essays cover the history of the Society and its various schemes, reminiscences of the Society's early days, reviews of various specialised aspects of ornithology - from birds in art to bird banding - and biographical accounts of key figures in the history of ornithology in New Zealand. Accompanied by numerous illustrations, this book is a comprehensive celebration of New Zealand ornithology."

Men and Birds in South America 1492 to 1900

R. Stowell Rounds

1990

"

Fifty Years of Bird Study in New Zealand: An Index To Notornis 1939-1989

Editor: B.D. Heather & P.M. Sheehan

1990

"This index provides a means to easily locate papers and short notes published in the Society's publications over the last fifty years. The index is in two parts: Author index and Subject index. This is not a comprehensive index; that is, it does not list every mention of every bird regardless of the value of the reference. It does, however, provide a very useful starting point for locating references by author or subject."

Neighbors to the Birds: A History of Birdwatching in America

Felton Gibbons and Deborah Strom

1988

"The recreational pursuit of birdwatching attracts millions of Americans. Gibbons and Strom provide a colorful history of this pastime, including how the study of birds developed, the influences of John James Audubon, John Muir and others, and the growth of conservation movements."

A World of Watchers

Joseph Kastner

1986

Subtitled "An Informal History of the American Passion for Birds - From Its Scientific Beginnings to the Great Birding Boom of Today."

Birds, Men and Books: A Literary History of Ornithology

Peter Tate

1986

"Moving from medieval church records to the present day the author follows the course of Ornithology and its expression through literature, showing how the role of the ornithologist has changed and how the discipline was influenced by the great Naturalists like Linne, Gilbert White and Charles Darwin."

The Naturalist in Britain: A Social History

David Elliston Allen

Hardback: Viking: 1976

A second edition was published in 1994.

"The author traces the evolution of natural history from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, from the 'herbalizings' of apprentice apothecaries to the establishment of national reserves and international societies to the emergence of natural history as an organized discipline."

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Ornithology: From Aristotle to the Present

Erwinn Stresemann

1975

Originally published in 1951 in Berlin. The 1975 publication is an English translation of the original by H.J. Epstein and C. Epstein.

The Literature of Australian Birds: A History and a Bibliography of Australian Ornithology

Hubert Massey Whittell

1954

A single volume that comprises two parts:

• Part 1, A History of Australian Ornithology 1618 to 1850 (116 pages)
• Part 2, A Bibliography Of Australian Ornithology 1618 To 1950, With Biographies Of Authors, Collectors And Others (788 pages)

Fifty Years' Progress of American Ornithology : 1883-1933

Editor: Frank M. Chapman and T.S. Palmer

1933

Contents:

• Introduction - F.M. Chapman and T.S. Palmer
• A Brief History Of The American Ornithologists' Union - T.S. Palmer
• American Ornithological Literature: 1883-1933 - Witmer Stone
• Fifty Years Of Bird Migration - William Rowan
• Bird Banding - F.C. Lincoln
• The Theory Of Territorialism And Its Development - Margaret M. Nice
• Advances In Life History Work - Herbert Friedmann
• Economic Ornithology - W.L. McAtee
• Collections Of Birds In The Unied States And Canada: Study Collections - J.L. Peters
• Collections Of Birds In The United States And Canada: Exhibition Collections - F.M. Chapman
• History And Progress Of Bird Photography In America - A.O. Gross
• Fifty Years Of Progress In American Bird-Art - G.M. Sutton
• Fifty Years Of Bird Protection - T.G. Pearson
• Ornithological Education In America - A.A. Allen
• Fossil Birds - Alexander Wetmore

Early Annals of Ornithology

J.H. Gurney

1921

Preface:

"The idea with which this little volume originated was to collect all the ancient passages about birds, of any special interest, but more particularly those which concerned British Birds, and to string them together in order of date. The preparation of such a book has naturally led to considerable research into the realms of literature, and here I should have been in difficulty but for the help of such good friends as Mr. J. E. Harting, Professor Edward Bensly and Dr. Eagle Clarke. Especially do I hold myself indebted to Mr. Harting for most valuable criticisms, and scarcely less so to Colonel Willoughby Verner, Mr. W. H. Mullens, Mr. A. H. Evans and Dr. Jenkinson."

A Geographic Bibliography of British Ornithology from the Earliest Times to the End of 1918

W.H. Mullens, F.C. Jourdain and H.K. Swann

1920

A Bibliography of British Ornithology from the Earliest Times to the End of 1912

W.H. Mullens and H.K. Swann

1917