Harry Church Oberholser (June 25, 1870 – December 25, 1963) was an American

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

Biography

Harry Oberholser was born to Jacob and Lavera S. Oberholser on June 25, 1870, in

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. He attended

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, but did not graduate. Later Oberholser was awarded degrees (

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

M.S. A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

, and

PhD. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

) from the

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

. He married Mary Forrest Smith on June 30, 1914. From 1895 to 1941, he was employed by the

United States Bureau of Biological Survey The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...

(later the United States Fish and Wildlife Service) as an

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, and

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. During his career, he collected bird specimens while on trips with Vernon Bailey and Louis Agassiz Fuertes. In 1928, Oberholser helped organize th
Winter Waterfowl Survey
which continues to this day. In 1941, at the age of 70, he became curator of

ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

at the

Cleveland Museum of Natural History The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum located approximately five miles (8 km) east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio in University Circle, a 550-acre (220 ha) concentration of educational, cultural and medical institu ...

. Oberholser was the author of a number of books and articles. A complete manuscript of his work is available at the

Dolph Briscoe Center for American History The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History is an organized research unit and public service component of the University of Texas at Austin named for Dolph Briscoe, the 41st governor of Texas. The center collects and preserves documents and a ...

. He died on December 25, 1963.

Memory

''Empidonax oberholseri'' ( dusky flycatcher) was named in his honor.

Books

*''The Bird Life of Texas'' (1974) *''Birds of Mt. Kilimanjaro'' (1905)
''Birds of the Anamba Islands''
(1917)
''Birds of the Natuna Islands''
(1932)
''The Bird Life of Louisiana''
(1938) *''When Passenger Pigeons Flew in the Killbuck Valley'' (1999) *''Critical notes on the subspecies of the spotted owl'' (1915) *''The birds of the Tambelan Islands, South China Sea'' (1919)
''The great plains waterfowl breeding grounds and their protection''
(1918)

References

External links

*
Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberholser, Harry Church 1870 births 1963 deaths American ornithologists Taxon authorities United States Department of Agriculture people