Constantine Walter Benson

Constantine Walter Benson OBE (born February 2, 1909 in Trull , England , † September 21, 1982 in Cambridge , England) was a British ornithologist .

Life

Benson was educated at Eton College and Magdalene College in England; at Cambridge University , he was one of the best athletes of his year. He then became a colonial officer and spent many years in the African bush studying the bird life there. Over time he became one of the most competent experts on the East African avifauna, especially the Comoros . His scientific first descriptions and discoveries include Ploceus ruweti ( Ruwet-Weber ), Hirundo megaensis ( white-tailed swallow or Benson Swallow), Oreophilais robertsi ( Roberts Prinie ) nesillas aldabrana ( Aldabra Brush Warbler ), Otus mayottensis ( Mayotte scops owl ) and Otus pauliani ( Comoros - Scops Owl ). In honor of the Comoros bush singer ( Nesillas mariae ), he nicknamed his wife Mrs. Benson's Brushwarbler .

After retiring from officer service, he became Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1965 .

Works

In addition to his collaboration on the Encyclopedia Grzimeks Tierleben , his best-known works include "A Check List of the Birds of Nyasaland" (1953), "Check List of the Birds of Northern Rhodesia" (1957), "The birds of the Comoro Islands" ( 1960), "A Contribution to the Ornithology of Zambia" (1967), "Birds of Zambia" (1971) and "The Birds of Malawi" (1977).

Dedication names

The Benson red chalk ( Monticola sharpei bensoni ) and the Zambian scout ( Calamonastides bensoni ) are named after Benson .

Web links

• In Memoriam, biography in The Auk magazine (PDF file; 74 kB)