Humayun Abdulali
Encyclopedia
Humayun Abdulali was an India
n ornithologist, and a cousin of Salim Ali
. He started with bird egg collection and shikar. Charles McCann
said of him that 'he know something about everything.' While studying Zoology at St Xavier's college in Bombay he put together a collection of birds from Bombay which led to the publication of a six part series on the Birds of Bombay and Salsette in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (1936-1939) co authored by Salim Ali. His first publication was in 1931 on 'Eleven Koel eggs in a crows nest'. He published 348 notes in his lifetime and his greatest contribution was the cataloguing of the specimens in the collection of the BNHS. After joining the Bombay Natural History Society
as an Honorary Secretary in 1949, was instrumental in cataloguing of the bird skins in the collection. He also led two expeditions to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1964 and 1966. He was honorary secretary of the BNHS from 1949-1961. He was instrumental in drafting the Bombay Wild Animals and Wild Birds Protection Act of 1951. He was also responsible for the protection and designation of the Borivli National Park.
Several species including a new species of frog Nyctibatrachus humayuni
and a new species of Nicobar Scops Owl
Otus alius have been named after him, and he himself described the Andaman subspecies of Black Baza
.
His work on frogs in agricultural ecosystems helped in the establishment of a ban on frog leg exports by the Indian Government.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n ornithologist, and a cousin of Salim Ali
Salim Ali (ornithologist)
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...
. He started with bird egg collection and shikar. Charles McCann
Charles McCann
Yule Mervyn Charles McCann was a naturalist in India. He wrote several a popular book on the trees of India and edited a major regional flora apart from publishing many of his other observations, mainly in the journal of the Bombay Natural History Society that he was associated with.He was born...
said of him that 'he know something about everything.' While studying Zoology at St Xavier's college in Bombay he put together a collection of birds from Bombay which led to the publication of a six part series on the Birds of Bombay and Salsette in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (1936-1939) co authored by Salim Ali. His first publication was in 1931 on 'Eleven Koel eggs in a crows nest'. He published 348 notes in his lifetime and his greatest contribution was the cataloguing of the specimens in the collection of the BNHS. After joining the Bombay Natural History Society
Bombay Natural History Society
The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Many...
as an Honorary Secretary in 1949, was instrumental in cataloguing of the bird skins in the collection. He also led two expeditions to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1964 and 1966. He was honorary secretary of the BNHS from 1949-1961. He was instrumental in drafting the Bombay Wild Animals and Wild Birds Protection Act of 1951. He was also responsible for the protection and designation of the Borivli National Park.
Several species including a new species of frog Nyctibatrachus humayuni
Nyctibatrachus humayuni
Nyctibatrachus humayuni is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.-Habitat:Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and rivers.-References:...
and a new species of Nicobar Scops Owl
Nicobar Scops Owl
The Nicobar Scops Owl is a species of owl in the Strigidae family.It is endemic to India.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It has an uncertain status but is thought to be rare or endangered. It was originally discovered by Pamela C. Rasmussen in 1998.-Source:*...
Otus alius have been named after him, and he himself described the Andaman subspecies of Black Baza
Black Baza
The Black Baza is a small sized bird of prey found in the forests of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Many populations are migratory. The races in the Indian region are migratory, wintering in the south of the Peninsula and Sri Lanka. The Black Bazas have short, stout legs and feet with strong...
.
His work on frogs in agricultural ecosystems helped in the establishment of a ban on frog leg exports by the Indian Government.
Writings
- Some peculiarities of avifaunal distribution in Peninsular India PDF