Colin Bibby facts for kids
Colin Joseph Bibby (born November 20, 1948 – died August 7, 2004) was a British expert who studied birds (an ornithologist). He also worked to protect nature (a conservationist).
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About Colin Bibby
Colin Bibby grew up in the Wirral, Cheshire. His father was a farmer in North Wales. He went to Oundle School and then St John's College, Cambridge to study natural sciences. For his PhD, he studied Dartford warblers. He looked at how they lived and how to protect them.
His Important Work with Birds
Colin Bibby worked for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) for many years. From 1971 to 1986, he was a researcher. Then, from 1986 to 1991, he led their science team for conservation.
In 1991, he joined BirdLife International. There, he led their research team. He managed big research projects in over 70 countries. These projects helped to protect birds around the world. In 2001, he started working as an independent environmental consultant. He also helped with the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. He was the first editor of a journal called Ringing and Migration for the British Trust for Ornithology.
Colin Bibby was very good at using scientific methods to study birds. This helped a lot with bird conservation. He also wrote many articles for British Birds magazine.
Awards and Recognition
In 1994, Colin Bibby received the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences. He got this award for his work with BirdLife International. In June 2004, he received the RSPB Medal. This was to honor his great contributions to studying birds.
Sadly, Colin learned he had an incurable cancer in March 2004. He passed away peacefully on August 7, 2004, at age 55. He was survived by his wife, Ruth, and their three sons.
Remembering Colin Bibby
Many people remembered Colin Bibby and his work. A special edition of Bird Conservation International magazine was dedicated to him in 2008. Mike Rands, who was the Chief Executive of BirdLife, wrote about him. He said that Colin was a truly amazing person. He used science to solve problems and manage organizations. Mike Rands also said that Colin left behind a great amount of knowledge and ideas. His work helped a lot in applying bird studies to conservation.
In 2017, a beautiful stained-glass painting was added to a church window. This was at St Michael and All Angels Church in Caldecote, Cambridgeshire. The painting showed a Dartford Warbler. This bird was special to Bibby. The artwork was in the style of Eric Ennion, one of Bibby's favorite artists. Colin had spent his last months raising money to restore the church windows. A special service was held on July 16, 2017, to dedicate the painting. Over 100 people attended this event.
