Austin Roberts

Austin Roberts ( born January 3, 1883 in Pretoria, South Africa, † May 5, 1948 near Lusikisiki in the former Transkei ) was a South African zoologist with a focus on ornithology.

Life

Roberts grew up as the son of a minister in Potchefstroom, South Africa,. He worked from 1910 to 1946 in the Transvaal Museum, studying the birds and mammals of South Africa there. Many basic knowledge gave him Thomas Ayres (1828-1913), one of the first amateur ornithologists in South Africa. Roberts collected for further research about 30,000 birds and 13,000 mammals for the Museum. He has published several books and manuscripts and articles for scientific journals. In 1935, he was named the University of Pretoria awarded an honorary doctorate.

Birds

Austin Roberts died on 5 May in 1948 in a traffic accident. Named after him opened Mr. WJ Seymore, a 11.8 -hectare bird sanctuary, the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary. This is the biggest reserve in South Africa and is situated in the Walkerspruit Open Space System. In June 1970, it was fenced and since then has been a recreational facility with cognitive and recreational value amounts at February 26, 1985 it was officially declared a nature reserve.

Works

• The mammals of South Africa. Johannesburg 1951-54 ( p. m. )
• Our South African birds ( Suid - Afrikaanse ons vöels ). Cape Times, Cape Town 1941.
• The birds of South Africa. Witherbys, London 1940-51 ( p. m. )
• Museum, higher vertebrate zoology and Their relationship to human affairs. Pretoria 1935.