Description: On this day, 72 years ago, ornithologist Alexander Wetmore became Smithsonian Secretary--continuing his life-long dedication to field research! Help transcribe Wetmore’s extensive research and make it available for a new generation of field scientists.
Description: Roxie Collie Laybourne pioneered the field of forensic ornithology through her study of bird feathers, which has meant improved aviation safety.
Description: Today is the first day of winter. Not ready for the cold weather? It could always be worse. Ornithologist (and future tropical biologist) Neal Griffith Smith once wrote in his journal:"Still pensil [sic]. Well, I've got time and temperature to write. Just sharpened the pensil with a snow knife. We are parked smack in the middle of Southampton [Island] in a bloody windstorm. It
Description: The theme of this year’s International Migratory Bird Day is unity. The Smithsonian has a longstanding history of commitment to the natural world. No figure in the Institution’s history better exemplifies the theme of unity surrounding migratory species than sixth Smithsonian Secretary and ornithologist Alexander Wetmore. He knew the importance of the role that birds play in
Description: This summer, have a little fun with images from our collections that have been designated as open access. Anyone can now download, transform, share, and reuse millions of images as part of Smithsonian Open Access.
Description: This philanthropist’s passion for research and adventure inspired him to join a series of collecting expeditions with the Smithsonian in the 1950s.
Description: We need your help idenitifying what happened to these Ridgway bird illustrations that appear to have strange smoke patterns covering the images
Description: A brief biographical sketch of Roxie Laybourne, an Ornithologist who specialized in feather identification and pioneered the field of forensic ornithology.