Author Description

Frank Michler Chapman (1864-1945) was an American ornithologist. He joined the staff of the American Museum of Natural History in 1888 as assistant to Joel Asaph Allen. In 1901 he was made associate Curator of Mammals and Birds and in 1908 Curator of Birds. He came up with the original idea for the Christmas Bird Count. He wrote many ornithological books as well as numerous papers in scientific journals and magazines such as the National Geographic Magazine. His works include: Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America (1895), Bird-Life: A Guide to the Study of Our Common Birds (1900), Bird Studies with a Camera (1900), Color Key to North American Birds (1903), Camps and Cruises of an Ornithologist (1908), The Birds of the Vicinity of New York City: A Guide to the Local Collection (1910), The Travels of Birds (1916), The Distribution of Bird-life in Colombia (1917), Our Winter Birds (1919), The Habit Groups of North American Birds (1921), The Distribution of Bird-life in Ecuador (1926) and My Tropical Air Castle (1929).