Horace Alexander - Ornithology

Ornithology

Alexander was a lifelong dedicated and gifted birdwatcher, keenly involved in the twentieth century movements for the protection and observation of birds. Along with his two younger brothers, Wilfred and Christopher, he took a keen interest in nature. Growing up in a Quaker home devoid of any other forms of entertainment, he found an interest in birds starting at the age of eight when his older brother Gilbert presented him a book on natural history. In his autobiography he traced the origin of his interests in birds to 8.45 am on March 25, 1897 when an uncle pointed out a singing chiffchaff in their garden. It was not until he was 20 that he obtained his first pair of binoculars. He was one of a small group of amateur birdwatchers who developed the skills and set new standards for combining the pleasures of birdwatching with the satisfaction of contributing to ornithological science. He made many significant observations, mainly in Britain but also in India and the United States, and was well respected for his work.

Horace spent most of his time in India and became interested in its birds in 1927. Ornithology at that time was not popular among Indians in India and when Horace informed Gandhi of an expedition, Gandhi commented, "That is a good hobby, provided you don't shoot them." Horace demonstrated the use of binoculars as an acceptable alternative to the gun and carried them at most times. Horace Alexander joined Sidney Dillon Ripley on an expedition to the Naga hills in 1950. Ripley named a subspecies of the Aberrant Bush Warbler after Alexander although this is no longer recognized. In the same year, he founded the Delhi Birdwatching Society along with Lt. Gen. Harold Williams. One of the early members of this organization was the young Indira Gandhi and the group encouraged Indian ornithologists such as Usha Ganguli. Many of his notes were lost when one of his suitcases was lost in India in 1946. Through his influence with Jawaharlal Nehru he was instrumental in the designation of the Sultanpur bird sanctuary near Delhi.

He was also a founder member, in 1929, of the West Midland Bird Club (then the Birmingham Bird Club), and its president, during his long residence in Birmingham, England.