On the Wing #29: The Babe Ruth of Ornithology
In the summer of 2010, I came up with a list of ornithologists (mostly American with a few Brits and other folk) and pitted them together in a March Madness style birding bracket that would determine who is the greatest ornithologist of all time. To keep with consistency this time around, my rules are as follows: 1. They have to be deceased. Clears up a lot of space including living people today like Kaufmann and Sibley that have still the rest of their lives to contribute further. So yeah, you have to be dead. 2. Any country is good, but mostly Americans will be listed as they are the most well know to me. 3. Has to have made a significant contribution to ornithology (revolutionized field birding, improved bird identification, improved methods etc.) Short rules indeed. So here's the list of candidates: 1. Salim Ali 2. Elliot Coues 3. Alexander Wilson 4. Charles Lucien Bonaparte 5. John James Audubon 6. John Gould 7. Charles Darwin 8. William Brewster 9. Ludlow Gris...