Frank Bennington Gill (October 2, 1941 in New York City ) is an American ornithologist with worldwide research interests and birding experience. He is perhaps best known as the author of the textbook Ornithology (4th edition, 2019), the leading textbook in the field.
15-559: The providence petrel ( Pterodroma solandri ) is a large and heavy build gadfly petrel that nests in two locations in the Tasman Sea : Lord Howe Island (some 800 km from the Australian mainland) and Philip Island. The scientific name of this species was given in honour of the Swedish botanist Daniel Solander , with Solander's petrel being an alternative common name. This bird
30-590: A bird through binoculars, "and I was hooked." After Gill received his PhD in zoology from the University of Michigan in 1969 (where he had also completed his undergraduate degree), he joined the ornithology department at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. From 1969 to 1995, Gill was a full-time staff member of the academy, where he held various positions throughout his tenure, including that of chairman for
45-467: A consistent set of unique English names and authoritative species taxonomy of the birds of the world. Gill's contributions include innovative program leadership combined with a personal commitment to engaging the public in ornithology through citizen science. He pioneered “cyberbirding”—the use of the internet for nationwide citizen science initiatives—including the conversion of classic Christmas Bird Count to modern technology. Frank and his colleagues at
60-492: A result of different foraging areas or historical predators that are no longer present. This Procellariiformes -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gadfly petrel About 35, see text The gadfly petrels or Pterodroma are a genus of about 35 species of petrels , part of the seabird order Procellariiformes . The gadfly petrels are named for their speedy weaving flight, as if evading gadflies ( horseflies ). The flight action
75-497: Is also reflected in the name Pterodroma , from Ancient Greek pteron , "wing" and dromos , "runner". The short, sturdy bills of these medium to large petrels are adapted for soft prey that they pick from the ocean surface. They have twisted intestines for digesting marine animals that have unusual biochemistries. Their complex wing and face marking are probably for interspecific recognition. These birds nest in colonies on islands and are pelagic when not breeding. One white egg
90-507: Is laid usually in a burrow or on open ground. They are nocturnal at the breeding colonies. While generally wide-ranging, most Pterodroma species are confined to a single ocean basin (e.g. Atlantic), and vagrancy is not as common amongst the genus as in some other seabird species (c.f. the storm petrels Hydrobatidae ). Eleven species in this genus breed in the New Zealand region, and six of these are only found there. The genus Pterodroma
105-435: Is therefore at great risk from a catastrophe. Graceful and supple in flight, the providence petrel has a cumbersome propensity on the ground, making it vulnerable to attack by predators. Main in causes of death are predation by the endangered Lord Howe rail and flooding of burrows. Other dangers include rat predation and drowning in longline fishing gear. The current population is estimated at only 64,000. More than 99% of
120-585: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology also were awarded US Patent No. 6,772,142 for their internet software application to translate online georeference data to an interactive database. With such tools, he and his colleagues created the Great Backyard Bird Count and then the eBird initiative of Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In 1996, Gill became senior vice president and director of science for
135-552: The International Ornithological Committee (IOC). The genus includes 35 species, of which one has become possibly extinct in historical times. Frank Gill (ornithologist) Gill was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey . He reported that he became interested in birds at the age of seven, when his grandfather, Frank Rockingham Downing, showed him a song sparrow at a birdbath. This was the first time he had seen
150-505: The Department of Ornithology and vice president for systematics and evolutionary biology. During his time at the academy, Gill was instrumental in re-establishing the academy's position as one of the leading centers of American ornithological research. This was manifested through Gill's work as the founding director of the VIREO program (Visual Resources for Ornithology) and his work as the editor of
165-679: The chickadees of the world. For his contributions to ornithology, Gill was recognized with the William Brewster Award , the highest honor bestowed by the AOU. Additionally, Gill is an elected member of the International Ornithological Congress , as well as the co-author, with Minturn Wright , of Birds of the World: Recommended English Names (2006). Since 1994, he has led the international effort to use
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#1733084880964180-825: The encyclopedic series Birds of North America, Life Histories for the 21st Century . In 1988 he was awarded the Linnaean Society of New York 's Eisenmann Medal . Since 1996, Gill has been affiliated with the academy as a research fellow. More recently, Gill was the president of the American Ornithologists' Union from 1998 to 2000. Besides his acclaimed textbook, Gill's published works include over 150 scientific and popular articles. His worldwide research programs included field studies of island birds, hybridization by blue-winged and golden-winged warblers, flower-feeding strategies of sunbirds of Africa and of hermit hummingbirds of Middle America, and phylogeny through DNA of
195-730: The global population now breeds on Lord Howe Island, where approximately 32,000 pairs nest on Mt Gower and Mt Lidgbird with some additional birds nesting on the lower slopes and Northern Hills. "Diet and foraging behaviour of the Providence Petrel Pterodroma solandri on Lord Howe Island, Australia, were investigated during three consecutive breeding seasons. Diet consisted largely of squid (predominantly Cranchiidae, Onychoteuthidae, Spirulidae and Histioteuthidae) and fish (principally Myctophidae), with crustaceans (mainly Decapoda and Isopoda) being somewhat less important." Some populations are diurnal, while others are nocturnal. This may be
210-621: Was introduced in 1856 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte . The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pteron meaning "wing" with dromos meaning "racer" or "runner". The type species was subsequently designated as the great-winged petrel by the American ornithologist Elliott Coues in 1866. The species listed here are those recognised in the online list maintained by Frank Gill , Pamela Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of
225-445: Was once numerous on Norfolk Island , however an estimated 1 million birds were harvested for food, and was completely exterminated on this island by 1800. It was also threatened by the introduction of mammalian predators in the late 18th century. This species is classified as least concern. However, the providence petrel is deemed to be in a precarious position because its breeding is confined to two mountain tops and one tiny islet, and
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