Godina izdanja: 1961
Oblast: Biologija
Jezik: Engleski
ISBN: K123
Autor: Strani

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Birds of the Caribbean – January 1, 1961
by Robert Porter Allen

Robert Porter Allen (24. aprila 1905 u Južnom Villiamsportu, Pensilvanija - 28. juna 1963) bio je američki ornitolog i ekolog. Svetsku pažnju je privukao za svoje spasilačke operacije velikog (Grus Americana)

By the 1880s, the slaughter of decoratively plumed birds in the United States had reached a new peak. Avid hunter and Forest and Stream editor George Bird Grinnell was disgusted by the carnage taking place across the nation. Inspired by bird painter John James Audubon, Grinnell formed the Audubon Society, dedicated to wild bird conservation, in 1886. At the time, even many ornithologists ran afoul of the society’s mission for killing birds to study their cadavers. Riding the wave of righteous reform during the Progressive Era, Audubon soon expanded beyond subscribers to Forest and Stream as members formed state chapters across the country. In 1905, the national umbrella organization for the state chapters was formed. The society collected a significant endowment by 1906 and worked diligently to establish bird sanctuaries and bird protection laws.

It is no accident that so many birds had become endangered in the United States by the twentieth century. Large plumes from birds had become à la mode in women’s fashion, fetching prices that were impossible for hunters and poachers to ignore. States across the U.S. had classified many birds as “vermin” and even offered bounties for each one killed. The state of Alaska paid bounties on bald eagles until 1957 and the numbers of the national bird dipped to dangerous levels. Some men thought they had the wisdom to classify animals according to their desirability or beauty without realizing that all species are intimately connected in ways that might not seem obvious. Humankind’s profound ignorance can only be diminished by research and education, so it is important to recognize the pioneers who engaged in these activities when few others would. Robert Porter Allen is one such pioneer who deserves recognition from new generations of scientists and citizens concerned about the environment. As part of the trailblazing work of the National Audubon Society, Allen’s work can help us gain a better understanding of how to successfully study nature and how the smallest ecological details can have large-scale consequences for all living things.

Born in 1905, Robert Porter Allen’s love of the outdoors began at an early age during his childhood adventures around Pennsylvania’s Bald Eagle Mountain. His high school biology teacher suggested that he join the Junior Audubon Club, which connected Allen to a network of established ornithologists who would shape his career in the following years. Allen went on to study at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, and was later encouraged by noted ornithologist and artist Louis Fuertes to transfer to Cornell University to continue his education. Hardship within Allen’s family led him to travel the world during a stint in the Merchant Marine. Returning to New York in 1929, Allen’s contacts from the Junior Audubon Club helped him to procure a position as a library cataloguer at the Audubon House. He was quickly promoted to Audubon librarian, but proved himself most useful in the field, brimming with tenacity and imagination.

`Lines Written in a Hide,` an original composition by Robert Porter Allen. From the Robert Porter Allen Audubon Collection, Box 2 Folder 25.
In 1931, Allen volunteered to conduct the study of the black-backed gull colony on the coast of Maine. The secrets to the survival of endangered birds depended upon a better understanding of the environmental factors that led the decline of the species. While the culprit was usually human activity, many declines in bird species could be traced to loss of habitat, in addition to poachers and profits. Allen’s effectiveness as a field researcher soon caught the attention of national Audubon Chief Executive Officer John Baker.

Re-energized by Baker’s leadership, the Audubon Society began publishing field guides to raise revenue. The Audubon guides have since become definitive sources of information for scholars and casual birders alike. He also made the preservation of endangered wildlife a priority, as well as placing an emphasis on scientific field work.

Robert Porter Allen, who had no patience for the stultifying confines of the classroom or laboratory, was not an obvious first choice to lead such a research effort. A bit of a wild man himself, Allen compensated for any shortcomings in his formal education with an almost fanatical willingness to endure harsh conditions and a dedication to studying live wild birds in the field instead of dissecting cadavers. Allen proved himself as a field researcher when he completed an in-depth study of the black-crowned night-heron colony on Long Island. Allen’s potential and dedication were rewarded that year when he was appointed to Tavernier, Florida to study losses in the roseate spoonbill population.

Tavernier, FL and the Roseate Spoonbill
While he found managing bird sanctuaries rewarding, Allen’s true calling was field research, something Baker apparently recognized from the start. Therefore, when he needed to find a researcher to look into the endangered roseate spoonbill, Baker knew just who to ask.

With its beautiful pink plumage, the roseate spoonbill had borne the brunt of the onslaught. Baker and others understood that in order to save endangered birds from extinction, Audubon would have to bring more resources to bear than wardens and sanctuaries. The critical situation called for careful study of the living birds in the wild. Allen established the Audubon’s research station on Tavernier.


Pages from Allen`s Spoonbill Field Notes. From the Robert Porter Allen Audubon Collection, Box 17 Folder 20 (left) and Box 18 Folder 15 (right).
Allen’s attention to detail yielded important insights.

After the United States entered World War II, Allen joined the military from 1941 until 1946. Allen immortalized his research in the book “The Flame Birds,” published in 1947.

The Whooping Crane
After the war, Allen threw himself back to conservation work and ornithology. In 1946, he helped establish the Everglades National Park, a huge conservation victory in a state that had been a poor custodian of its natural resources. In August 1946, Allen was chosen for an important new assignment.