Francis Willughby FRS was an English Ornithologist, ichthyologist, mathematician and an early student of linguistics and games.
The Willughby family home at Middleton Hall, Warwickshire
Lady Cassandra Ridgeway, Willughby's mother
In South Wales, Willughby and Ray saw a rare black-winged stilt shown here in the Ornithologiae Libri Tres as "Himantopus".
Approximate reconstruction of the journeys through Europe Willughby, Ray, Bacon and Skippon Ray and Skippon to Sicily and Malta Willughby and Bacon head north Willughby alone
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds. It has also been an area with a large contribution made by amateurs in terms of time, resources, and financial support. Studies on birds have helped develop key concepts in biology including evolution, behaviour and ecology such as the definition of species, the process of speciation, instinct, learning, ecological niches, guilds, island biogeography, phylogeography, and conservation.
A marbled godwit being ringed for studies on bird migration
A collection of bird skins, belonging to the family Cotingidae
Geese from a wall panel from the tomb of Nefermaat, Egypt c. 2575–2551 B.C.
Belon's comparison of birds and humans in his Book of Birds, 1555
