Edward Harris was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 farmer and amateur naturalist

Natural history

Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...

.

Son of a farmer, Harris grew up near to Philadelphia. He met the ornithologist John James Audubon

John James Audubon

John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...

 in 1824 after which the two men became close friends, Harris providing Audubon with some financial assistance for the publication of Birds of America.

Harris took part in two of Audubon's expeditions: in the spring of 1837 in the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

, and in 1843 along the Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

.

Harris was commemorated by Audubon in the common names of the Harris's Hawk

Harris's Hawk

The Harris's Hawk or Harris Hawk formerly known as the Bay-winged Hawk or Dusky Hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey which breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile and central Argentina...

 and the Harris's Sparrow

Harris's Sparrow

The Harris's Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula, is a large sparrow.Their breeding habitat is the north part of central Canada . In fact, this bird is Canada's only endemic breeder...

, and by John Cassin

John Cassin

John Cassin was an American ornithologist.He is considered to be one of the giants of American ornithology, and was America's first taxonomist, describing 198 birds not previously mentioned by Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon...

 in the binomial of the Buff-fronted Owl

Buff-fronted Owl

The Buff-fronted Owl, Aegolius harrisii, is a small owl. It is a rare and local resident in the highlands of South America from Venezuela south and east to Peru, northern Argentina and northwest Paraguay...

, Aegolius harrisii.