J. Denis Summers-Smith
Encyclopedia
James Denis Summers-Smith (born 1920) is a British ornithologist and mechanical engineer, a specialist both in sparrow
s and industrial tribology
.
Summers-Smith was raised in Glasgow, where he was born in 1920. He spent holidays in Donegal
, Northern Ireland, where his uncle, a country parson and a naturalist, taught him about birds. For six years during World War II, Summers-Smith was an Intelligence Officer in the British Army, stationed on the east coast of England. During this time, he had little time for birdwatching, except when surveying "such likely spots for invasion" as coastal marsh in Suffolk
.
After the war, Summers-Smith began his successful career as a mechanical engineer for Imperial Chemical Industries
. He obtained several degrees in engineering around this time, and a PhD in physics in 1953. In 1975, Summers-Smith received one of the three annual Tribology Silver Medals given by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
. His job as an engineer allowed him to travel widely, and he used trips abroad as opportunities to study sparrows.
Summers-Smith began his study of the House Sparrow
in 1947. He decided to make a serious study of a particular bird species, and chose the House Sparrow because of the difficulty of travel at the time, under post-war rationing. Summers-Smith studied the House Sparrow in a village in Hampshire
, in a town in Durham
, and eventually at Guisborough
in North Yorkshire
, where he settled in 1961. During these studies, he was arrested twice for looking around yards with binoculars at early hours. Summers-Smith was a founding member of his local bird club in 1960, and he wrote the instructions for the British Trust for Ornithology
's first Common Bird Census in 1962. His study of the House Sparrow resulted in a number of papers in prestigious journals, and his 1963 monograph The House Sparrow, published as part of the New Naturalist Monographs series. After The House Sparrow was published, Summers-Smith began studying the House Sparrow's relatives in the genus
Passer
. Over the course of these studies, he visited dozens of countries, and made observations on all the Passer species (recognised in his classification) except the Socotra Sparrow
. This research into the sparrows as a whole resulted in a monograph on the genus Passer, the 1988 as The Sparrows, and one on the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, the 1995 The Tree Sparrow, both of which were illustrated by Robert Gillmor
. He also wrote In Search of Sparrows, an account of his worldwide travels researching sparrows. In 1992, Summers-Smith received the Zoological Society of London
's Stamford Raffles Award
, for his "world-renowned work on sparrows".
In The House Sparrow, Summers-Smith predicted that the House Sparrow would have "a bright future", but instead it went into a severe decline in many parts of the world, beginning in the 1970s. Summers-Smith studied this decline extensively, but he called it "one of the most remarkable wildlife mysteries of the last fifty years". When The Independent
offered a £5,000 prize for an explanation of the decline of the House Sparrow in 2000, Summers-Smith acted as a referee. In 2008, the prize was almost awarded to Dr. Kate Vincent of De Montfort University
and several colleagues, who attributed the decline of the House Sparrow to falling insect numbers.
In 2009, Summers-Smith was the author of the section of the Handbook of the Birds of the World
on the family Passeridae
.
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s and industrial tribology
Tribology
Tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the study and application of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear...
.
Summers-Smith was raised in Glasgow, where he was born in 1920. He spent holidays in Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
, Northern Ireland, where his uncle, a country parson and a naturalist, taught him about birds. For six years during World War II, Summers-Smith was an Intelligence Officer in the British Army, stationed on the east coast of England. During this time, he had little time for birdwatching, except when surveying "such likely spots for invasion" as coastal marsh in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
After the war, Summers-Smith began his successful career as a mechanical engineer for Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
. He obtained several degrees in engineering around this time, and a PhD in physics in 1953. In 1975, Summers-Smith received one of the three annual Tribology Silver Medals given by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
. His job as an engineer allowed him to travel widely, and he used trips abroad as opportunities to study sparrows.
Summers-Smith began his study of the House Sparrow
House Sparrow
The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
in 1947. He decided to make a serious study of a particular bird species, and chose the House Sparrow because of the difficulty of travel at the time, under post-war rationing. Summers-Smith studied the House Sparrow in a village in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, in a town in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, and eventually at Guisborough
Guisborough
Guisborough is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England....
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, where he settled in 1961. During these studies, he was arrested twice for looking around yards with binoculars at early hours. Summers-Smith was a founding member of his local bird club in 1960, and he wrote the instructions for the British Trust for Ornithology
British Trust for Ornithology
The British Trust for Ornithology is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles.-Activities:The BTO carries out research into the lives of birds, chiefly by conducting population and breeding surveys and by bird ringing, largely carried out by a large number of...
's first Common Bird Census in 1962. His study of the House Sparrow resulted in a number of papers in prestigious journals, and his 1963 monograph The House Sparrow, published as part of the New Naturalist Monographs series. After The House Sparrow was published, Summers-Smith began studying the House Sparrow's relatives in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Passer
Passer
Passer is a genus of Old World sparrows. These sparrows are plump little brown or greyish birds often with black, yellow or white markings. Typically 10–20 cm long, they have short tails and stubby conical beaks...
. Over the course of these studies, he visited dozens of countries, and made observations on all the Passer species (recognised in his classification) except the Socotra Sparrow
Socotra Sparrow
The Socotra Sparrow is a passerine bird endemic to the islands of Socotra, Samhah, and Darsah in the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa...
. This research into the sparrows as a whole resulted in a monograph on the genus Passer, the 1988 as The Sparrows, and one on the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, the 1995 The Tree Sparrow, both of which were illustrated by Robert Gillmor
Robert Gillmor
Robert Gillmor is an ornithologist, artist, illustrator, author and editor, from England. He is a founder member of the Society of Wildlife Artists and has been its Secretary, Chairman and President...
. He also wrote In Search of Sparrows, an account of his worldwide travels researching sparrows. In 1992, Summers-Smith received the Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
's Stamford Raffles Award
Stamford Raffles Award
Stamford Raffles Award is an award of the Zoological Society of London. It is "For distinguished contributions to zoology, open to amateur zoologists or, to a professional zoologist in recognition of contributions which are outside the scope of his professional activities and principal...
, for his "world-renowned work on sparrows".
In The House Sparrow, Summers-Smith predicted that the House Sparrow would have "a bright future", but instead it went into a severe decline in many parts of the world, beginning in the 1970s. Summers-Smith studied this decline extensively, but he called it "one of the most remarkable wildlife mysteries of the last fifty years". When The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
offered a £5,000 prize for an explanation of the decline of the House Sparrow in 2000, Summers-Smith acted as a referee. In 2008, the prize was almost awarded to Dr. Kate Vincent of De Montfort University
De Montfort University
De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
and several colleagues, who attributed the decline of the House Sparrow to falling insect numbers.
In 2009, Summers-Smith was the author of the section of the Handbook of the Birds of the World
Handbook of the Birds of the World
The Handbook of the Birds of the World is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. The series is edited by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal and David A Christie.So far, 15...
on the family Passeridae
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
.