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San Cristóbal Flycatcher
The San Cristóbal flycatcher (''Pyrocephalus dubius''), also known as San Cristóbal vermilion flycatcher or least vermilion flycatcher, is an extinct species of flycatcher, closely related to the vermilion flycatcher. It was endemic to San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos Islands. The taxon was discovered during Charles Darwin's Galapagos voyage in 1835 and described as full species ''Pyrocephalus dubius'' by John Gould in 1839. Taxonomy The San Cristóbal flycatcher was described as full species ''Pyrocephalus dubius'' in 1839 by John Gould. In 1890, Robert Ridgway suggested the new combination ''Pyrocephalus minimus''. Subsequently, it was reclassified as subspecies ''Pyrocephalus rubinus dubius'' of the vermilion flycatcher which is widespread in North America and South America. A 2016 study suggests to reinstate the specific status for both ''Pyrocephalus dubius'' and the other Galápagos taxon ''Pyrocephalus nanus'' because of genetic divergence. It is recognized as a spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Gould
John Gould (; 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates produced by his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists, including Edward Lear, Henry Constantine Richter, Joseph Wolf and William Matthew Hart. He has been considered the father of bird study in Australia and the Gould League in Australia is named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Gould's work is referenced in Charles Darwin's book, ''On the Origin of Species''. Early life Gould was born in Lyme Regis, the first son of a gardener. Both father and son probably had little education. After working on Dowager Lady Poulett's glass house, his father obtained a position on an estate near Guildford, Surrey, and then in 1818, Gould Snr became foreman in the Royal Gardens of Windsor. Gould then be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1839
Events January–March * January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre. * January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years. * January 9 – The French Academy of Sciences announces the daguerreotype photography process. * January 19 – British forces capture Aden. * January 20 – Battle of Yungay: Chile defeats the Peru–Bolivian Confederation, leading to the restoration of an independent Peru. * January – The first parallax measurement of the distance to Alpha Centauri is published by Thomas Henderson. * February 11 – The University of Missouri is established, becoming the first public university west of the Mississippi River. * February 24 – William Otis receives a patent for the steam shovel. * March 5 – Longwood University is founded in Farmville, Virginia. * March 7 – Baltimore City College, the third public high school in the United States, is established i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vermilion Flycatcher
The vermilion flycatcher (''Pyrocephalus obscurus'') is a small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family found throughout South America and southern North America. It is a striking exception among the generally drab Tyrannidae due to its vermilion-red coloration. The males have bright red crowns, chests, and underparts, with brownish wings and tails. Females lack the vivid red coloration and can be hard to identify—they may be confused for the Say's phoebe. The vermilion flycatcher's song is a ', which is variable and important in establishing a territory. Riparian habitats and semi-open environments are preferred. As aerial insectivores, they catch their prey while flying. Their several months-long molt begins in summer. Despite being socially monogamous, vermilion flycatchers will engage in extra-pair copulation. They also practice within-species brood parasitism, whereby females lay their eggs in the nest of another individual. Females build shallow open cup nests and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
San Cristóbal Island
San Cristóbal Island ( es, Isla San Cristóbal) and named previously by the English as ''Chatham Island'', is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, as well as one of the oldest geologically. It is administratively part of San Cristóbal Canton, Ecuador. Its Spanish (and official Ecuadorian) name "San Cristóbal" comes from the patron saint of seafarers, St. Christopher. English speakers increasingly use that name in preference to the traditional English name of Chatham Island, derived from William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. History San Cristobal Island is composed of three or four fused volcanoes, all extinct. It is home to the oldest permanent settlement of the islands and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. A small lake called El Junco is the only source of fresh water in the islands. The availability of fresh water is what led to the early settlement of San Cristobal. A penal colony was built on San Cristóbal Island in 1880 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: , , ) are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are distributed on each side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, and are part of the Republic of Ecuador. Located west of continental Ecuador, the islands are known for their large number of endemic species that were studied by Charles Darwin during the second voyage of HMS ''Beagle''. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by means of natural selection. The Galápagos Islands and their surrounding waters form the Galápagos Province of Ecuador, the Galápagos National Park, and the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of slightly over 25,000. The first recorded visit to the islands happened by chance in 1535, when Fray Tomás de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panamá, was surprised to find this undiscovered land on a vo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended from a common ancestor is now generally accepted and considered a fundamental concept in science. In a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace, he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history and was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey. Darwin's early interest in nature led him to neglect his medical education at the University of Edinburgh; instead, he helped to investigate marine invertebrates. His studies at the University of Cambridge's Christ's Col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
International Ornithologists' Union
The International Ornithologists' Union, formerly known as the International Ornithological Committee, is a group of about 200 international ornithologists, and is responsible for the International Ornithological Congress and other international ornithological activities, undertaken by its standing committees. International Ornithological Congress The International Ornithological Congress series forms the oldest and largest international series of meetings of ornithologists. It is organised by the International Ornithologists' Union. The first meeting was in 1884; subsequent meetings were irregular until 1926 since when meetings have been held every four years, except for two missed meetings during and in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Meetings See also * '' Birds of the World: Recommended English Names'', a book written by Frank Gill Frank Gill may refer to: * Frank Gill (Australian footballer) (1908–1970), Australian rules footballer with Carlton * Fran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albert Kenrick Fisher
Albert Kenrick Fisher (21 March 1856 – 12 June 1948) was an American ornithologist, known for his 1893 boo''The Hawks and Owls of the United States in Their Relation to Agriculture'' Fisher was born in Sing Sing, New York (now Ossining), where he graduated from Holbrook's Military High School; in 1879 he graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. He practiced medicine in Sing Sing until 1885. In 1883 he was a founding member of the American Ornithologists' Union. To study the role of birds in controlling insect pests, the U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture in July 1885 appointed C. Hart Merriam to create a Branch of Economic Ornithology in the U.S.D.A. Division of Entomology; Merriam hired Fisher to help establish this new Branch. In 1886 the Branch was elevated to Division status and named the "Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy". The goal of the Division was to perform food-habit studies of wildlife and to educate farmers about the usefulne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avian Pox
''Avipoxvirus'' (avian pox) is a genus of viruses within the family ''Poxviridae''. ''Poxviridae'' is the family of viruses which cause the afflicted organism to have poxes as a symptom. Poxviruses have generally large genomes, and other such examples include smallpox and monkeypox. Members of the genus ''Avipoxvirus'' infect specifically birds. Avipoxviruses are unable to complete their replication cycle in non-avian species. Although it is comparably slow-spreading, ''Avipoxvirus'' is known to cause symptoms like pustules full of pus lining the skin and diphtheria-like symptoms. These diphtheria-like symptoms might include diphtheric necrotic membranes lining the mouth and the upper respiratory tract. Like other avian viruses, it can be transmitted through vectors mechanically such as through mosquitoes. There is no evidence that this virus can infect humans. ''Avipoxvirus'' is a virus that is brick-shaped and is usually 200 nanometres in diameter. This is much larger tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avian Malaria
Avian malaria is a parasitic disease of birds, caused by parasite species belonging to the genera ''Plasmodium'' and '' Hemoproteus'' (phylum Apicomplexa, class Haemosporidia, family Plasmoiidae). The disease is transmitted by a dipteran vector including mosquitoes in the case of ''Plasmodium'' parasites and biting midges for ''Hemoproteus.'' The range of symptoms and effects of the parasite on its bird hosts is very wide, from asymptomatic cases to drastic population declines due to the disease, as is the case of the Hawaiian honeycreepers. The diversity of parasites is large, as it is estimated that there are approximately as many parasites as there are species of hosts. Co-speciation and host switching events have contributed to the broad range of hosts that these parasites can infect, causing avian malaria to be a widespread global disease, found everywhere except Antarctica. Cause Avian malaria is most notably caused by ''Plasmodium relictum'', a protist that infects birds i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organization with a mission to save species from extinction. Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the dodo as its symbol. The trust was renamed Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in its founder's honor on 26 March 1999. Its patron is Princess Anne, the Princess Royal. Its headquarters are at Les Augrès Manor on the isle of Jersey in the English Channel. The grounds of Les Augrès Manor form the Durrell Wildlife Park, which was originally established by Gerald Durrell in 1959 as a sanctuary and breeding center for endangered species. The zoological park was known as the ''Jersey Zoo'' at that time. As of 2016, the zoo was home to more than one hundred species of reptiles, birds and mammals, many of which are designated as endangered in the wild. Despite strong resistance to his ideas from much of the zoological community, in 1959 Gerald Durrell succeeded in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pyrocephalus
''Pyrocephalus'' is a genus of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. The genus was introduced by the English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould in 1839 in Charles Darwin's ''Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle''. The type species was designated as the scarlet flycatcher (''Pyrocephalus rubinus'') by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1840. The name ''Pyrocephalus'' combines the Ancient Greek ''purrhos'' meaning "flame-coloured" or "red" and ''-kephalos'' meaning "-headed". Taxonomy The tyrant flycatcher family, the Tyrannidae, is a group of passerine birds present only in the New World, and its members are generally drab in coloration.del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Christie, D. (editors). (2004) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails''. Lynx Edicions. Within it, the subfamily Fluvicolinae comprises the genera ''Pyrocephalus'', ''Contopus'', ''Empidonax'', and '' Sayornis''. They likely shared a common ancestor i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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