Ruffled Feathers

We have taken a very different approach to our Australian and African bird books with this work. From our photographic library of 580 bird species, we have tracked down the 180 researchers who described them to science. This book has been laid out in chronological order by author.
Ground zero for scientific names started in 1758 with the publication of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae by the Swedish scientist, Carl Linnaeus. This included adoption of binomial names sourced from Latin or Ancient Greek. Naturally Linnaeus got the jump on many who had previously described birds by becoming the 'scientific author.' He was generous and professional enough to cite the earlier researchers in his publication.
Some well known names refused to recognise 'Linnaean nomenclature' and continued to publish their work without binomial names. The noble pursuit of science is not always as collaborative as one might like. Opportunists rushed in and claimed these species as their own. Justified I am sure on the basis of scientific tidiness. Feathers were ruffled leading to the title of this book.
Our poor birds are merely the stage props in this book, exploited to unmask the backstories of how they became 'known to science'. The occasion when they received their genus and species names from the 'scientific author.'
For the scientific authors, it's a collection of vignettes of people of their time, their achievements and sometimes their foibles and prejudices. Where we have been able to glean it, we have included a little trivia that adds to the colour and movement.