Christian Jouanin
Encyclopedia
Christian Jouanin is a prominent French ornithologist
and expert on petrel
s. He worked for the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
in Paris
and is a former Vice President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. He has done many major projects in the field, notably with petrels in the Indian Ocean
and Madeiras, and has described a number of species.
Jouanin began working professionally with birds in 1940 at the age of 15, when he started working for the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
under the tutelage of Jacques Berlioz
, then the head of the ornithology department. At the age of 22 he married his wife, Nicole, with whom he has had two daughters. While working at the museum he, along with his colleague Jean Dorst
, who later replaced Berlioz as the head of the ornithology department, helped write the species description for the Djibouti Francolin
, a critically endangered
francolin
endemic to Djibouti
whose type specimen was brought to the museum. He also developed a lifelong interest in two distinctly different bird families, the hummingbird
s and the petrel
s.
In 1955 Jouanin published his first independent species description after realizing that the new species, named Jouanin's Petrel
, differed significantly from the Mascarene Petrel. This description began a long period of his life dedicated to the research of petrels in the Indian Ocean
. While his primary goal was to find the breeding grounds of the Mascarene Petrel, he discovered another new species, Barau's Petrel
, breeding on the island of Réunion
. He also analyzed the differences between the Réunion
and Seychelles
populations of Audubon's Shearwater
.
In 1963 he switched his focus to the Atlantic Ocean
, participating with Francis Roux in an expedition to the Savage Islands
. He then proceeded to study Cory's Shearwater
in the Madeiras with Alec Zino, a collaboration that has resulted in over eighty publications.
Jouanin is recognized as an expert on the Order Procellariiformes
and co-wrote the section on those birds in James Lee Peters
's Check-list of Birds of the World. He served as the Vice President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature from 1970 to 1975 and has been a member of the International Ornithological Congress
since 1954, serving on the Permanent Executive Committee from 1970 to 1978.
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
and expert on petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
s. He worked for the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and is a former Vice President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. He has done many major projects in the field, notably with petrels in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Madeiras, and has described a number of species.
Jouanin began working professionally with birds in 1940 at the age of 15, when he started working for the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
under the tutelage of Jacques Berlioz
Jacques Berlioz
Jacques Berlioz was a French zoologist.Berlioz joined the staff of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in 1912, and in 1949 he became curator of mammals and birds. He retired in 1962....
, then the head of the ornithology department. At the age of 22 he married his wife, Nicole, with whom he has had two daughters. While working at the museum he, along with his colleague Jean Dorst
Jean Dorst
Professor Dr Jean Dorst was a French ornithologist.Dorst was born at Mulhouse and studied biology and paleontology at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Paris. In 1947 he joined the staff of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle...
, who later replaced Berlioz as the head of the ornithology department, helped write the species description for the Djibouti Francolin
Djibouti Francolin
The Djibouti Francolin, Pternistis ochropectus, is one of over forty species of francolins, a group of birds in the Phasianidae family. It is critically endangered and found only in Djibouti, a nation in eastern Africa. This species is grayish-brown overall with white stripes and streaks on its...
, a critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
francolin
Francolin
Francolins are birds that traditionally have been placed in the genus Francolinus, but now commonly are divided into multiple genera , although some of the major taxonomic listing sources have yet to divide them. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae...
endemic to Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
whose type specimen was brought to the museum. He also developed a lifelong interest in two distinctly different bird families, the hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s and the petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
s.
Jouanin's Petrel
Jouanin's Petrel is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family.It is found in Djibouti, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, and Yemen....
, differed significantly from the Mascarene Petrel. This description began a long period of his life dedicated to the research of petrels in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. While his primary goal was to find the breeding grounds of the Mascarene Petrel, he discovered another new species, Barau's Petrel
Barau's Petrel
Barau's Petrel, Pterodroma baraui is a medium sized gadfly petrel from the family Procellariidae. Its main breeding site is the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.-Etymology:...
, breeding on the island of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
. He also analyzed the differences between the Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
and Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
populations of Audubon's Shearwater
Audubon's Shearwater
Audubon's Shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri, is a common tropical seabird from the family Procellariidae. Sometimes called Dusky-backed Shearwater, the scientific name of this species commemorates the French naturalist Félix Louis L'Herminier....
.
In 1963 he switched his focus to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, participating with Francis Roux in an expedition to the Savage Islands
Savage Islands
The Savage Islands, also referred to as the Salvage Islands or the Selvagens Islands, of Sé. They are designated a Nature Reserve, comprising two areas: one on Selvagem Grande Island and the second on Selvagem Pequena Island.-Geography:...
. He then proceeded to study Cory's Shearwater
Cory's Shearwater
The Cory's Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.This species breeds on islands and cliffs in the Mediterranean, with the odd outpost on the Atlantic coast of Iberia. The nest is on open ground or among rocks or less often in a burrow where one white egg is laid,...
in the Madeiras with Alec Zino, a collaboration that has resulted in over eighty publications.
Jouanin is recognized as an expert on the Order Procellariiformes
Procellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
and co-wrote the section on those birds in James Lee Peters
James Lee Peters
James Lee Peters was an American ornithologist.Peters was Curator of Birds at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Harvard University...
's Check-list of Birds of the World. He served as the Vice President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature from 1970 to 1975 and has been a member of the International Ornithological Congress
International Ornithological Congress
The International Ornithological Congress series forms the oldest and largest international series of meetings of ornithologists. It is organised by the International Ornithological Committee, a group of about 200 ornithologists...
since 1954, serving on the Permanent Executive Committee from 1970 to 1978.