author
Austin Loomer Rand
1905–1982
A field biologist and ornithologist with a taste for adventure, this Canadian scientist helped explore Madagascar and New Guinea and turned those journeys into influential books about birds. His writing bridges careful science and lively natural history, making him an appealing guide for curious listeners.
1 Audiobook
Stray Feathers From a Bird Man's Desk
by Austin Loomer Rand
About the author
Born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, in 1905 and raised nearby in Wolfville, he developed an early interest in birds under the influence of local ornithologist Robie W. Tufts. He studied at Acadia University, later did graduate work at Cornell, and built a career as a zoologist and ornithologist.
While still a graduate student, he joined an expedition to Madagascar as a bird collector, and that work became the basis of his PhD research. He later took part in, and helped lead, Richard Archbold's expeditions to New Guinea in the 1930s. Those years in the field shaped much of his scientific writing and gave him firsthand knowledge that shows up clearly in his books.
He went on to work at the National Museum of Canada and then at Chicago's Field Museum, where he served as curator of birds and later chief curator of zoology. Alongside many scientific papers, he wrote books for general readers as well as specialists, including Stray Feathers from a Bird Man's Desk, Ornithology: an Introduction, Handbook of New Guinea Birds, and Birds of North America.