William Henry Phelps Sr. (June 14, 1875 – December 8, 1965) 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 businessman. One of his sons,

William H. Phelps Jr. William Henry Phelps Jr. (December 25, 1902 – August 13, 1988) was a Venezuelan ornithologist and businessman. Early life He was born in San Antonio de Maturín, a town located in Monagas, Venezuela. Along with his father, William Henry Ph ...

, was also an ornithologist, and collaborated with him. William Phelps was the founder of the

William Phelps Ornithological Collection The William Phelps Ornithological Collection, also known as the Phelps Ornithological Museum, is a museum of natural sciences dedicated to the study, exhibition and preservation of the birds of Venezuela and the rest of Latin America. The collec ...

, located in Sabana Grande. This is still the most important private ornithological collection of the world. (in Spanish).

Early life

Born in New York City to Dudley F. Phelps, and of Louise Lander Prince Phelps, he attended

Milton Academy Milton Academy (also known as Milton) is a highly selective, coeducational, independent preparatory, boarding and day school in Milton, Massachusetts consisting of a grade 9–12 Upper School and a grade K–8 Lower School. Boarding is offered ...

and

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

. In the summer of 1896 he decided to go on a journey of ornithological exploration to

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

following the advice of

Wirt Robinson Colonel Wirt Robinson (16 October 1864 – 19 January 1929) was an American army officer, naturalist, and served as a professor of chemistry, mineralogy and geology at the U. S. Military Academy. He also served briefly as a professor of military s ...

, who had visited

Margarita Island Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the northeastern coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the island. History ...

the year before, and from his mentor

Frank M. Chapman Frank Michler Chapman (June 12, 1864 – November 15, 1945) was an American ornithologist and pioneering writer of field guides. Biography Chapman was born in West Englewood, New Jersey and attended Englewood Academy. He joined the staff of ...

. He went to the ports of

Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello () is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State, about 210 km west of Caracas. As of 2011, the city had a population of around 182,400. The city is home to the largest and busiest port in the coun ...

and

La Guaira La Guaira () is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of the same name (formerly named Vargas) and the country's main port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during ...

to finally explore a region near

Cumaná Cumaná () is the capital city of Venezuela's Sucre State. It is located east of Caracas. Cumaná was one of the first cities founded by Spain in the mainland Americas and is the oldest continuously-inhabited Hispanic-established city in South ...

. After a long stay in the states of

Sucre Sucre () is the Capital city, capital of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the List of cities in Bolivia, 6th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of . T ...

and

Monagas ) , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Monagas'' , image_map = Monagas in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_m ...

, he became fascinated with the country and its birds. In San Antonio de Maturín, he met a family of British settlers, the Tuckers, and felt in love with one of the daughters, Alicia Elvira. He returned to the United States with a small collection of specimens that he brought to Chapman at the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...

. The specimens he collected became the basis for his first publication published with Chapman in 1897.

Settling in Venezuela

Once he finished his studies at Harvard, Phelps returned to Venezuela in 1897, to marry Alicia Elvira Tucker and settle in Maturín. There he began one of many successful business ventures by selling coffee. His first two children, John and William Henry Jr., were born during that time. This second son, William H. Phelps Jr., became one of his foremost collaborators in all matters concerning ornithology. In 1938 he founded the Phelps Collection considered the largest ornithological collection in Latin America and the largest private collection in the world. It is a mandatory study resource on tropical birds for experts who wish to know more about this area. Currently the Phelps Collection has a heritage of 80,000 birds in feathers, a thousand preserved in alcohol and 1,500 skeletons. William H. Phelps also founded

Radio Caracas Radio Radio Caracas Radio was a Venezuelan radio station. It was last owned by Empresas 1BC, a Venezuelan private media corporation. History Background In 1930, Edgar J. Anzola, who was employed in an electronics business named ''Almacén Americano' ...

Legacy

William H. Phelps and his family are commemorated in the scientific name of a species of Venezuelan lizard, ''

Cercosaura phelpsorum ''Cercosaura phelpsorum'' is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. The species is endemic to Venezuela. Etymology The specific name, ''phelpsorum'' (genitive plural), is in honor of American ornithologist William H. Phelps Sr. and ...

''.Beolens,Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ("Phelps", p. 205).

Works

*(With

John Todd Zimmer John Todd Zimmer (February 28, 1889 in Bridgeport, Ohio – January 6, 1957 in White Plains, New York) was a leading American ornithologist. A graduate of University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he took an early interest in both entomology and ornithology. ...

and

Ernest Thomas Gilliard Ernest Thomas Gilliard (23 November 1912 – 26 January 1965) was an American ornithologist and museum curator who led or participated in several ornithological expeditions, especially to South America and New Guinea. Gilliard was born in York, Pen ...

). "A new race of the honey-creeper, ''

Diglossa cyanea The masked flowerpiercer (''Diglossa cyanea'') is a species of bird in the tanager family, Thraupidae. It is found in humid montane forest and scrub in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Flowerpiercers got their name from the fact t ...

'', from Venezuela". (New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1952). *(With John Todd Zimmer). "New subspecies of birds from Surinam and Venezuela". (New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1951). *(With

). "''Lista de las aves de Venezuela con su distribución'' ". (Caracas: Editorial Grafolit, 1950). (in Spanish). *(With John Todd Zimmer). "A new name for ''

Basileuterus culicivorus The golden-crowned warbler (''Basileuterus culicivorus'') is a small New World warbler. Distribution and habitat It breeds from Mexico and south through Central America to northeastern Argentina and Uruguay, and on Trinidad. It is mainly a spec ...

roraimae'' ". (New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1949).

References

External links