Lester L. Short
Encyclopedia
Lester Leroy Short is an American ornithologist. His main research field is the order Piciformes
.
. In 1955 he graduated to Bachelor of Science
at the Cornell University
. After a study of vertebrate zoology
at Charles Sibley
in the Cornell University
he wrote his dissertation with the title Hybridization in the Flickers (Colaptes) of North America in 1959. From 1960 to 1962 he was assistant professor
at the Adelphi University
. From 1963 to 1966 he worked for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
. From 1966 until his retirement in 1997 he was Lamont curator of birds at the American Museum of Natural History
. In that position he made expeditions to South America
, Africa
, Asia
, Australia
and the Pacific islands. In 1972 Short took part on a survey to study the Okinawa Woodpecker
. After the results of this expedition were published in the Wilson Bulletin in 1973 the American public became aware of the threats which brought the Okinawa Woodpecker to the verge of extinction. A planned project to build United States Marine Corps
facilities in the Yambaru forest in the northern Okinawa
was stopped to protect the woodpecker. In 1986 and 1987 Short was among the members of a Cuban-American-Expedition which were able to observe the thought to be extinct Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker
(Campephilus principalis bairdii) for a short while. This was the last reliable sighting of this subspecies.
Short is the author of Woodpeckers of the World (1982), a comprehensive account on the order Piciformes, and of more than 250 scientific articles including descriptions of the Kaempfer's Woodpecker
and the Pale-eyed Blackbird
. In 1978 he married the Kenyan ornithologist and bioacoustican Jennifer F. M. Horne
who died in 2008.
Piciformes
Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...
.
Biography
Short was born in Port Chester, New YorkPort Chester, New York
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is part of the town of Rye. As of the 2010 census, Port Chester had a population of 28,967...
. In 1955 he graduated to Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
at the Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. After a study of vertebrate 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...
at Charles Sibley
Charles Sibley
Charles Gald Sibley was an American ornithologist and molecular biologist. He had an immense influence on the scientific classification of birds, and the work that Sibley initiated has substantially altered our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern birds.Sibley's taxonomy has been a...
in the Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
he wrote his dissertation with the title Hybridization in the Flickers (Colaptes) of North America in 1959. From 1960 to 1962 he was assistant professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the Adelphi University
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
. From 1963 to 1966 he worked for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
. From 1966 until his retirement in 1997 he was Lamont curator of birds at the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
. In that position he made expeditions to 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...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Pacific islands. In 1972 Short took part on a survey to study the Okinawa Woodpecker
Okinawa Woodpecker
The is a woodpecker endemic to the island of Okinawa in Japan. It is the only member of the genus Sapheopipo.This is a medium-sized , dark woodpecker. It is dark brown in color with red-tipped feathers. It has white spots on the primaries. The head is a paler brown, with a dark red crown on the...
. After the results of this expedition were published in the Wilson Bulletin in 1973 the American public became aware of the threats which brought the Okinawa Woodpecker to the verge of extinction. A planned project to build United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
facilities in the Yambaru forest in the northern Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
was stopped to protect the woodpecker. In 1986 and 1987 Short was among the members of a Cuban-American-Expedition which were able to observe the thought to be extinct Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker
The Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker or Carpintero real is, or was, a Cuban subspecies of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker . Once classified as a separate species, recent research has indicated that C. p...
(Campephilus principalis bairdii) for a short while. This was the last reliable sighting of this subspecies.
Short is the author of Woodpeckers of the World (1982), a comprehensive account on the order Piciformes, and of more than 250 scientific articles including descriptions of the Kaempfer's Woodpecker
Kaempfer's Woodpecker
The Kaempfer's Woodpecker , also known as Piauí Woodpecker, is a species of woodpecker from Brazil. The type specimen, a female, was collected in the Brazilian state of Piauí in 1926...
and the Pale-eyed Blackbird
Pale-eyed Blackbird
The Pale-eyed Blackbird is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.Its natural habitat is swamps.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
. In 1978 he married the Kenyan ornithologist and bioacoustican Jennifer F. M. Horne
Jennifer F. M. Horne
Jennifer F. M. Horne also known as Jenny Horne or after her marriage as Jennifer Horne-Short was a Kenyan ornithologist and bioacoustican....
who died in 2008.