Whitney South Seas Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Whitney South Seas Expedition (1921 - c.1932) to collect bird specimens for the American Museum of Natural History
(AMNH), under the initial leadership of Rollo Beck
, was instigated by Dr Leonard C. Sanford
and financed by Harry Payne Whitney
, a thoroughbred
horse-breeder and philanthropist
.
Beck, an expert bird collector himself, hired Ernst H. Quayle and Charles Curtis to assist with collecting, including the botanical specimens collected by the expedition.
The expedition visited islands in the south Pacific region and eventually returned with over 40,000 bird
specimens, many plant specimens and an extensive collection of anthropological
items and photographs. In the course of the expedition Beck sealed the extinction of the already critically endangered Guadalupe Caracara
by shooting nine out of eleven birds seen, almost all of the small population of the species remaining.
Using the 75-ton schooner
France, with many different scientists and collectors participating over more than a dozen years, the expedition visited thousands of islands throughout Micronesia
, Polynesia
and Melanesia
. It was administered by a committee at the AMNH and became a focus for attracting funds for research on the biota of the Pacific islands.
Ernst Mayr
replaced Beck as leader on one of the later stages of the expedition, to the Solomon Islands
in 1929-1930, and from 1932 to 1953 was Associate Curator, and then Curator, of the Whitney-Rothschild Collection of bird specimens at the AMNH.
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...
(AMNH), under the initial leadership of Rollo Beck
Rollo Beck
Rollo Howard Beck was an American ornithologist, bird collector and explorer. Beck's Petrel is named after him.-Early years:...
, was instigated by Dr Leonard C. Sanford
Leonard Cutler Sanford
Leonard Cutler Sanford was an American surgeon and amateur ornithologist who served as a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History for nearly thirty years and who was instrumental in building up its bird collections....
and financed by Harry Payne Whitney
Harry Payne Whitney
Harry Payne Whitney was an American businessman, thoroughbred horsebreeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family.- Early years :...
, a thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse-breeder and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Beck, an expert bird collector himself, hired Ernst H. Quayle and Charles Curtis to assist with collecting, including the botanical specimens collected by the expedition.
The expedition visited islands in the south Pacific region and eventually returned with over 40,000 bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
specimens, many plant specimens and an extensive collection of anthropological
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
items and photographs. In the course of the expedition Beck sealed the extinction of the already critically endangered Guadalupe Caracara
Guadalupe Caracara
The Guadalupe Caracara, Caracara lutosa, is an extinct bird of prey belonging to the falcon family . It was, together with the closely related Crested and Southern Caracara, formerly placed in the genus Polyborus. It was also known as the Quelili or the Calalie.This species inhabited Mexico's...
by shooting nine out of eleven birds seen, almost all of the small population of the species remaining.
Using the 75-ton schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
France, with many different scientists and collectors participating over more than a dozen years, the expedition visited thousands of islands throughout Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
, Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
and Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
. It was administered by a committee at the AMNH and became a focus for attracting funds for research on the biota of the Pacific islands.
Ernst Mayr
Ernst Mayr
Ernst Walter Mayr was one of the 20th century's leading evolutionary biologists. He was also a renowned taxonomist, tropical explorer, ornithologist, historian of science, and naturalist...
replaced Beck as leader on one of the later stages of the expedition, to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
in 1929-1930, and from 1932 to 1953 was Associate Curator, and then Curator, of the Whitney-Rothschild Collection of bird specimens at the AMNH.