Babe Ruth #01: The Challengers

Despite being named for one of the most famous figures in baseball history, the purpose of the Babe Ruth of Ornithology takes very little from the world of sports. To start with, I don't pay attention to sports which means I have more time to focus on strange competitions like this one.

Also unlike a sports team which focuses on the collective achievement of a group, the goal of this competition is to focus on the achievements of a single individual and to bring to light the achievements and life histories of those ornithologists, conservationists, artists, and other bird lovers who have contributed to the study and overall appreciation of birds.

It's not hard to understand why so many people have felt compelled to learn about, explore, and experience the wonder of birds. Despite the many people I could have chosen, I have decided to keep the numbers low and focus on those who have not only inspired my own interest in birds, but most importantly provided something relevant or groundbreaking in the study or appreciation of birds. I also have focused on individuals that are relatively well known in both in the mainstream and in scientific circles alike.

The challengers were chosen from a mix of previously described candidates in my other blog posts and some new ones I only recently learned about. All of them are compelling characters in their own right and all have an equal chance of being regarded as the "Babe Ruth of Ornithology". As I list them below, I have included them in the order they will be written about and what they are most famous for. They include the following:

Match #1. John James Audubon vs. Alexander Wilson

• The most recognized name in bird lore and creator of the Birds of America vs. The father of American ornithology before Audubon.

Match #2. Sir Peter Scott vs. Harriet Hemenway

• The founder of the World Wildlife Fund and Wildfowl and Wetland Trust vs. The co-founder of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Match #3. Rachel Carson vs. Florence Merriam Bailey

• The advocate for banning the pesticide DDT which caused declines in songbird and raptor numbers vs. The prolific writer and promoter of birding for a nonscientific audience.

Match #4. Rosalie Edge vs. Salim Ali

• The founder of Hawk Mountain, the first raptor-only sanctuary in the United States vs. The Birdman of India who conducted the first systematic bird surveys of India.

Match #5. Kenn Kaufman vs. David Allen Sibley

• The author of the Kaufman Field Guide series and promoter of birding and conservation vs. The author of the Sibley Guide to Birds and promoter of birding and conservation.

Match #6. Roger Tory Peterson vs. Louis Agassiz Fuertes

• The author of one of the most popular modern bird field guides vs. The prolific bird artist who influenced future bird artists like Sibley and Peterson.

Match #7. Charles Darwin vs. John Gould

• The father of evolutionary theory and discoverer of the Galapagos Finches vs. The father of Australian ornithology.

Match #8. Ludlow Griscom vs. Frank M. Chapman

• The pioneer in the use of field marks to identify birds vs. The founder of the Christmas Bird Count and supporter of the early Audubon movements.

Even with sixteen candidates, it will take some time to research, document, and write about each contestant in a concise and focused manner. As such, each posting will be posted about a month apart to accommodate the time needed to research and process the information.

The contenders will have a brief biography posted before the match up that will detail their beginnings, achievements, and top three contributions to ornithology that will be pitted against their opponent. After vetting each point, I will decide who

With that being said, I'm looking forward to my first challenger's match up! With such a biological heavyweight going up against a relatively unfamiliar ornithologist, it will be interesting to see who gains the upper hand. I hope you will be able to join me to find out who gave more to the birds; John James Audubon, the author of the Birds of America vs. Alexander Wilson

See you then!

Babe Ruth #00: Origins

For those of you who have stumbled across this blog in your travels around the internet, this blog, like many, has a singular focus. What makes this blog different is that it focuses on an unusual idea. My other blog, Nature Note: The Adventures of a Northeastern Naturalist, is devoted largely to my birding adventures, as well as some side adventures into wildlife photography, wild edibles, fishing, tracking, and more.

However, the purpose of this blog is more multifaceted. I want to reintroduce people to ornithologists, to naturalists, to people who made bird science what it is today and what is has yet to become. They include famous examples such as John James Audubon and Sir Peter Scott, and to lesser known, but equally well deserving individuals such as Alexander Wilson and Margaret Morse Nice. I'll also be introducing you to people you've probably never even heard of. With those introductions and reintroductions, I want to show you, the reader, what they became known for, what they wanted to achieve, who they were, and where they came from. I want to show you what they brought to this interesting and complicated field and how they continue to shape our world even today.

The name "Babe Ruth of Ornithology" was originally conceived in 2010 when my friend and fellow dishwasher Ed Mortimer, asked me during a lull in dish washing activity who would be considered to be "the Babe Ruth of Ornithology". I paused and said,

"Um. I don't know. Maybe Audubon?"

I hemmed and hawed for a bit longer, but couldn't really think of anyone else. After that initial poke, I put the idea on the back burner for a bit. It was only later on in the summer, that I picked up the idea again and made myself a bracket based on what ornithologists I could find on Wikipedia. From there, I tried to figure which ones had bigger and better accomplishments and from there, the basic idea was born.

Effectively what I had come up with was like March Madness with ornithologists. This brings us all the way back to 2012 when I started posting about the original 16 contenders in the B.R.O. and continued until I eventually got fed up with it. I felt like it took up too much time and effort and didn't want to bother with it anymore.

I angrily proclaimed in On the Wing #48, that I was bored of the project and declared Alexander Wilson the winner. Now nearly three years later, I've decided to give it another go. This time I will make a better effort to represent the best work of each candidate and pit them against a contender that represents an important shared aspect of ornithology. By comparing and contrasting, I hope to determine who best represents each category and who, ultimately, will triumph as the "Babe Ruth of Ornithology".

In my next posting, I'll be describing how the matches will be set up, the contenders and why they are participating, and who will be in the first match up. I'm really excited to share the match ups and participants with you all soon!

Until then, happy birding.