Whose bird?: men and women commemorated in the common names of birds.

London: Christopher Helm, 2003.
Octavo, paperback, 400 pp. black and white photographs, text illustrations.

Birders often wonder about the people commemorated in the names of many of our familiar birds. In this book biographies detail the life and work of the individual involved, often revealing fascinating insights about the nature of bird study and exploration in centuries gone by. 2,235 birds and 1,124 individuals are covered in the texts, and all available details are given for the handful of names which could not be traced. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of ornithology.