Thomas Ayres was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 born South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n ornithologist

Ornithology

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...

. In 1850 he migrated with his family to Natal

Colony of Natal

The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...

 where he started to collect birds. In 1865 he and his brother Jack moved to Potchefstroom, where they hunted and traded with the Boer

Boer

Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...

 settlers. He later did much to encourage the young Austin Roberts

Austin Roberts

Austin Roberts was a South African zoologist. He is best known for his Birds of South Africa, first published in 1940. He also studied the mammalian fauna of the region: his work The mammals of South Africa was published posthumously in 1951...

, who was subsequently to produce the premier South African fauna guides “The Birds of South Africa” and “The Mammals of South Africa”, in his zoological interests. Ayres is commemorated in the names of the Ayres' Hawk-Eagle (Hieraaetus ayresii), Ayres’ Cisticola

Wing-snapping Cisticola

The Wing-snapping Cisticola , also known as Ayres' Cisticola, is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. Its scientific name honours South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres.-Distribution and habitat:...

 (Cisticola ayresii), and the White-winged Flufftail

White-winged Flufftail

The White-winged Flufftail is a very rare African bird in the Rallidae family. Its scientific name honours South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres.-Description:...

(Sarothura ayresi).