Joseph Beal Steere was an American

United States

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

 ornithologist.

Steere was born in Rollin, Michigan

Rollin Township, Michigan

Rollin Township is a civil township of Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,176 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census...

. He received a B.A. from the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 in 1868 and a B. of Law in 1870. From 1870-1873 he travelled in South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. He went on another scientific expedition to the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 and the Moluccas from 1874-1875. He returned to Michigan to teach Zoology

Zoology

Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...

 and was a professor of Zoology there from 1876-1893.

He married Helen Buzzard on 30 September 1879.

He took one final excursion in 1901, leading a group of students to the Amazon

Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...

 to collect specimens for the Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...

.

Steere described a number of new birds. He is commemorated in the names of a number of birds, including Steere's Liocichla

Steere's Liocichla

The Steere's Liocichla is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is endemic to Taiwan.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....

 Liochicla steerii, Wattled Broadbill Eurylaimus steerii, Black-hooded Coucal

Black-hooded Coucal

The Black-hooded Coucal is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...

 Centropus steerii and Azure-breasted Pitta

Azure-breasted Pitta

The Azure-breasted Pitta, Pitta steerii, is a species of bird in the Pittidae family.It is endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...

 Pitta steerii.

One of his manuscript, Formosa and its inhabitants, deposited in Bentley Historical Library in University of Michigan was translated into Chinese and published in 2009.

Publications

• Steere, J. B., 1903. Narrative of a visit to Indian tribes of the Purus River, Brazil. A. Rept. U. S. natl Mus., Washington, D. C. 1903: 359-393.
• Steere, J. B., 1927. The archeology of the Amazon. Univ. Michigan off. Publs 29 (9, Pt. 2): 20-26.
• Steere, J. B., 1949. Tribos do Purus. Sociologia, São Paulo 11 (2): 64-78, 212-222.