Frederick C. Lincoln | |
|---|---|
 Lincoln at his desk. From the U.S. National Archives and the U.S. Bird Banding Laboratory. | |
| Born | May 5, 1892 |
| Died | September 16, 1960 (aged 68) |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Lincoln index, flyway concept |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ornithology |
Frederick Charles Lincoln (5 May 1892 – 16 September 1960) was an American ornithologist.
Lincoln was born on 5 May 1892 in Denver, Colorado.[1]
As a teenager working at the Colorado Museum of Natural History in 1909, Lincoln learned to prepare specimens from Alexander Wetmore (who was then a student working at the museum) and L. J. Hershey, the museum's Curator of Ornithology.[1][2] Lincoln's interest in birds continued to develop, and he eventually went on to succeed Hershey as curator in 1913, a post which he held until 1920.[1][2] He took time out in 1918–1919 to serve as pigeon expert in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.[2] The professional relationship with Wetmore would continue: the two scientists took field trips together in Washington and Hispaniola and co-wrote eight publications.[1]
In 1920, Lincoln joined the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey (at the time, a unit of the United States Department of Agriculture, and now part of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service[3]) and was given the task of organizing and expanding the bird banding program nationwide.[2] The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 had established federal responsibility for migratory birds; the result was that the North American Bird Banding Program took the place of earlier smaller-scale efforts by individuals and the short-lived American Bird Banding Association. During the period of his tenure, 1920–1946, Lincoln was highly influential: he improved methods for trapping and banding, developed record-keeping procedures, recruited banders, fostered international cooperation, and promoted banding as a tool for research and wildlife management.[1][2] He proposed a means to estimate the continent-wide population size of a bird species, using reports from hunters and counting "returns" (birds killed that are wearing bands); this metric became known as the Lincoln index.[1] He developed the flyway concept, a key idea in the management and regulation of hunting of migratory birds.[1]
Lincoln joined the American Ornithologists' Union in 1910 and was elected a Fellow of the organization in 1934.[1][4]
Lincoln died on 16 September 1960 in Washington, D.C. and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[1]
Lincoln received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Colorado in 1956; in 1957, the Department of the Interior recognized him with its Distinguished Service Award.[1]
