Henry Witherby

Henry Forbes Witherby M.B.E., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. (October 7, 1873 - death date and age|1943|12|11|1873|10|7; known as Harry) was a noted British ornithologist, author, publisher and founding editor (in 1907) of British Birds magazine.

The family firm of H. F and G. Witherby, originally printers, began to publish bird books early in the 20th century.

From an early age Witherby devoted himself to the study of ornithology, travelling extensively, including visits to Iran, the Kola Peninsula, and the White Nile. He described the latter in his book "Bird Hunting on the White Nile" (1902).

He started one of the world's first two bird ringing schemes in 1909 (they merged in the late 1930s), transferring responsibility for it to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), who still run it, in 1937.

Witherby was chairman of the British Ornithologists' Club (1924-1927) and the council of the British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) (1933-1938).

He was a founding member and early vice-chairman of the BTO, which survived through his financial generosity, not least in donating the proceeds of the sale of his extensive collection of stuffed birds to the British Museum.

Witherby's crowning glory was "The Handbook of British Birds" (1938-1941). Spanning five volumes, it was reprinted a number of times, the later editions having a few pages devoted to corrections and additions to previous editions, but few of these are of great significance. The main text was left untouched.

In 1937, he was awarded the Godman-Salvin Medal by the BOU.

Witherby's Lark ("Alaemon hamertoni") was named for him, in 1905, but is now more commonly known as the Lesser Hoopoe-lark.

References

*Mullens and Swann - "A Bibliography of British Ornithology" (1917)