Malcolm Davis (1899 – October 4, 1977) 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 ...
and bird keeper.
Early life
Davis was born at
Washington, D.C.
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in 1899. He studied at the
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
, and later graduated from
George Washington University
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, type = Private federally chartered research university
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, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
with a degree in zoology. During World War I, he served in the
Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army that creates and manages communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of Ma ...
.
Career
Davis began working at the
National Zoological Park in 1927. He worked his way up to becoming head keeper of the Bird Division. During the course of his work, Davis traveled to every continent to collect specimens, including
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
three times.
He captured and brought back animals from each place he visited, including megafauna such as a
Sumatran tiger
The Sumatran tiger is a population of ''Panthera tigris sondaica'' on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali and Javan tigers are extinct.
Sequences from complete mitochon ...
and an
Indian rhinoceros
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The Indian rhinoceros (''Rhinoceros unicornis''), also called the Indian rhino, greater one-horned rhinoceros or great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros species native to the Indian subcontinent. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red Li ...
. He traveled with
Richard E. Byrd
Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...
to survey the
Davis Islands, which now bear his name.
[ He brought back live ]emperor penguin
The emperor penguin (''Aptenodytes forsteri'') is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in length and weighing from . Feathers of th ...
s, which were transferred to the National Zoological Park on March 5, 1940. He kept some alive for six years, a record at the time.
Davis took part in Operation Windmill
Operation Windmill (OpWml) was the United States Navy's Second Antarctica Developments Project, an exploration and training mission to Antarctica in 1947–1948. This operation was a follow-up to the First Antarctica Development Project known as O ...
to collect animals such as penguins and leopard seal
The leopard seal (''Hydrurga leptonyx''), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the orca. It feeds on a wide range of prey incl ...
s. He traveled on board the USCGC ''Edisto''.
Davis retired from the zoo in 1960, but remained as a consultant to the National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over six million members and supporters, and 51 state and territorial affiliated organizations (includin ...
. He also took care of a monkey colony at the Woodard Research Corporation in Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 23,292 at the 2010 census. In 2020, the population was estimated to be 24,532, which makes it the largest of three i ...
.
He died at his home in Herndon, on October 4, 1970, of a heart attack.[
]
References
Scientists from Washington, D.C.
American ornithologists
American Antarctic scientists
1899 births
1977 deaths
{{US-ornithologist-stub