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 Ossining is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population at the 2020 United States census was 27,551, an increase over 25,060 at the 2010 census. As a village, it is located in the town of Ossining. Geography Ossin ...

(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 Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded ...

. He practiced medicine in Sing Sing until 1885. In 1883 he was a founding member of the

American Ornithologists' Union The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...

. To study the role of birds in controlling insect pests, the U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture in July 1885 appointed

C. Hart Merriam Clinton Hart Merriam (December 5, 1855 – March 19, 1942) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, ethnographer, geographer, naturalist and physician. He was commonly known as the 'father of mammalogy', a ...

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 usefulness to farmers of some birds and mammals among wildlife. In 1896 the Division was granted independent status with expanded duties as a new Division and named the " Division of Biological Survey." A U.S. Congressional Act of 3 March 1905 enabled the creation on 1 July 1905 of a separate Bureau of Biological Survey. Fisher worked for the Bureau from its inception until his retirement in 1931. Fisher participated in the Death Valley Expedition in 1891, the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899, and the Pinchot South Seas Expedition in 1929. Many bird skins collected by Fisher on these 3 expeditions are now in the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...

. He was the president of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1914–1917. He wrote 150 papers on ornithology or other zoological subjects with a few obituaries. A list of his papers, complete to 21 March 1926, was published in the ''Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington''. Fisher and his wife had two sons and two daughters. He played an important role in the conservation movement and was a personal friend of several famous conservationists, including

Gifford Pinchot Gifford Pinchot (August 11, 1865October 4, 1946) was an American forester and politician. He served as the fourth chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry, as the first head of the United States Forest Service, and as the 28th governor of Pennsy ...

and

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. He died in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, aged 92.

References

External links

*
A. K. Fisher papers, 1827–1957 (bulk 1867–1948), U.S. Library of Congress Manuscript Division
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Albert Kenrick American ornithologists 1856 births 1948 deaths Scientists from New York (state) Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni People from Ossining, New York 19th-century American zoologists 20th-century American zoologists Physicians from New York (state)