Science Atlas

How We Know What We Know
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Discipline

Ornithology

Life Sciences

Ornithology is the branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds, covering their behavior, physiology, taxonomy, ecology and conservation across every avian order.

Facts
Founded Year
1858 1
Marks the founding of the British Ornithologists' Union, the year ornithology's Victorian-era formalization into a professional scientific discipline is generally dated to; the observational study of birds is far older, and some scholars trace scientific ornithology to Francis Willughby and John Ray's 17th-century work.
Central Question
How do birds navigate across thousands of kilometers of seasonal migration with the accuracy observed, and what does that navigational ability reveal about sensory capacities, such as magnetic field detection, not shared by most other animals? 1
Scope
Ornithology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of birds, covering their anatomy, physiology, behavior, migration, taxonomy and conservation. 1
Significance
Francis Willughby and John Ray's Ornithologiae libri tres, published in 1676, classified birds by physical characteristics rather than by folklore or usefulness to humans, a systematic approach that is generally credited with founding scientific ornithology. 1
Connections

Founded By

Source Francis Willughby (Wikipedia)

Has Scientist

Source Elwyn Welch (Wikipedia)
Source Francis Willughby (Wikipedia)
Source Konrad Lorenz (Wikipedia)
Source Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr. (Wikipedia)
Source Nikolaas Tinbergen (Wikipedia)
Source Rebecca Cann (Wikipedia)
Source Theunis Piersma (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Ornithology (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds
  • History section
    The history of ornithology largely reflects the trends in the history of biology, as well as many other scientific disciplines, including ecology, anatomy, physiology, paleontology, and more recently, molecular biology.
  • In Group: Biology and Natural History, Lead
    is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds
View the Source
Francis Willughby (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Founded By: Francis Willughby, Birds section
    Willughby's Ornithology was intended to describe all the then-known birds worldwide.
  • Has Scientist: Francis Willughby, Infobox, fields
    Infobox fields: Ornithology, ichthyology
View the Source
Rebecca Cann (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Rebecca Cann, Infobox, fields
Quote, Has Scientist: Rebecca Cann, Infobox, fields
Infobox fields: Anthropology, genetics, ornithology
View the Source
Konrad Lorenz (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Konrad Lorenz, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Konrad Lorenz, Lead sentence
Konrad Zacharias Lorenz (; 7 November 1903 27 February 1989) was an Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist.
View the Source
Nikolaas Tinbergen (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Nikolaas Tinbergen, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Nikolaas Tinbergen, Lead sentence
Nikolaas "Niko" Tinbergen ( , ; 15 April 1907-21 December 1988) was a Dutch biologist and ornithologist who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Karl von Frisch and Konrad Lorenz for their discoveries concerning the organization and elicitation of individual and social
View the Source
Elwyn Welch (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Elwyn Welch, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Elwyn Welch, Lead sentence
Elwyn Owen Arnold Welch (13 January 1925-10 December 1961) was a New Zealand farmer, ornithologist, conservationist and Open Brethren missionary.
View the Source
Theunis Piersma (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Theunis Piersma, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Theunis Piersma, Lead sentence
Theunis Piersma (born 15 June 1958) is a Dutch ornithologist, ecologist, and educator.
View the Source
Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr. (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr., Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr., Lead sentence
Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr. (December 16, 1915, February 11, 2008) was an American ornithologist.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.