On the Wing #35: (BRO) Wilson Vs. Forbush

Round three of the Babe Ruth of Ornithology starts off this week with Alexander Wilson vs. Edward Howe Forbush. I hesitate to guess who'll win this round (but not really) Lets do this!!

More birds named after him than Audubon could shake a boom stick at!

Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) can easily be called the father of American Ornithology. After moving to America with his nephew in 1794, legend has it that the first bird he saw when he was in the New World was a Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). While he always had a touch of intrigue towards the natural world, it was a famous naturalist named William Bartram, that gave him a passion for ornithology. It is Wilson that, more so than Audubon himself, has had more associated with him with regards to birds than any other American ornithological figure. As the aforementioned father of ornithology in America, his name is remembered with such species as Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata), and Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla). In regards to the Wilson's Warbler, he is even mentioned in their genus name which was formerly Wilsonia pusilla. He is probably most famous for writing the nine volume series called "American Ornithology" which was only completed when George Ord (who, it has to be said, was a complete fanboy when it came to anything Wilson did or said. After all he was a genius!) after Wilson died in 1813. "American Ornithology" describes 268 species includes two dozen new ones to science at the time. Often replicated, but never matched in his lifetime (even by Audubon who is credited with being one of the most well known bird artists of his generation. Despite this status, it has been noted that Audubon may have traced over some of Wilson's originals to get the lookalike for his own drawings and paintings. This caused the main point of ire with Ord and the other Wilsonians in Philadelphia at the time, causing Audubon to attempt to seek his fortunes in Europe instead.), Wilson was certainly one to watch out for in regards to his talents and abilities as America's father of bird science.

While little known elsewhere, the man holds a special place in my heart as the first ornithologist I'd ever heard of.

Edward Howe Forbush (1858-1929) was the naturalist's naturalist. Born with an eye for nature and the avian world, he was conducting expeditions to many a wild and distant place throughout his life to explore the lay of the land and the creatures that dwelt within it. Probably most famous for his three volume series called "Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States", the books laid out his expertise in the field of "economic ornithology" which ascribed an economic value to a species on whether it was beneficial, detrimental, or ambivalent to the needs of farmers, hunters, and lay persons. The books (I own the entire set. They not too difficult to come by) cover all the known species to visit New England at the time including some rare species that show up quite regularly including Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis), Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya), and at the time, Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Such records however could only be verified by shooting the rarities and there are some entries that describe what locations they were found in and by who, but are frowned upon because they didn't ascribe to Coue's golden rule (a bird in hand is worth two in the bush!) Despite this he wrote lamenting the declining numbers of Passenger Pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) and worked actively to save the last of the Heath Hens (Tympanuchus cupido cupido) (a subspecies of Greater Prairie-Chicken) from becoming extinct. Forbush also founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society and the Northeastern Bird-Banding Association (which would later become the Association of Field Ornithologists) and was the State Ornithologist of Massachusetts from 1908 until his death in 1929. A man of many talents with such an effect on the ornithology of Massachusetts and on my own appreciation of the science, I am so thankful for his gifts and his contributions.

Score tabulation time!

Alexander Wilson:

• Widely regarded as the "father" of American Ornithology. (1)
• Has more birds to his name than anyone I can think of. (Five species and a genus to boot!) (1)
• Greatly respected by his peers and would denounce anything that threatened that status. This played out most famously in the ridicule of a certain French-American bird artist who had the gall to call Wilson an "amateur". (1)
• Copied by many, but never duplicated, Wilson is a real original in regards to his work, ideas, and talents. (1)
• Probably adhered to the tenants of "shotgun ornithology" and probably would have been Coue's best bud. (-1)

Edward Howe Forbush:

• Writer of the highly acclaimed "Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States" which remains as one of the pillars of bird population study and research in Massachusetts and the Northeast. (1)
• Founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society and the Northeastern Bird-Banding Association which would later become an influential front for bird study and conservation. (1)
• Advocated the use of "economic ornithology" that ascribed a positive, negative, or ambiguous value to a bird species based on its effect on crops, tree plantations, and public property. This while helpful in encouraging better understanding of a species role in an ecosystem, but it implies (at least in my interpretation) that birds exist for human benefit and not for the sake of themselves. (-1)
• Fought to save the Heath Hen from extinction and described in lamenting detail the life history and eventual demise of the Passenger Pigeon. (1)
• Still adhered to Coue's golden rule which I dictate as "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" and sight records were generally frowned upon as opposed to accepting them as verifiable accounts. (-1)

Scores: Wilson - 3 / Forbush - 1

The winner this week is (as expected) Alexander Wilson! He will go on to the quarterfinals to face next weeks winner. Next weeks contestants are: Charles Darwin (wild card) vs. William Brewster!