Ian Newton facts for kids
Ian Newton OBE FRS FRSE (born on January 17, 1940) is a famous English scientist who studies birds. He is known as an ornithologist.
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Early Life and Education
Ian Newton grew up in the northern part of Derbyshire, England. He went to Chesterfield Grammar School for his education. Later, he studied at the University of Bristol. He continued his studies at the University of Oxford, where he earned his D.Phil. in 1964 and his D.Sc. in 1982. Throughout his life, he has studied many different kinds of birds.
Career and Bird Research
Ian Newton loved birds from a very young age. When he was a teenager, he became especially interested in finches. He spent many years studying them for his doctoral and post-doctoral research.
One of his most important projects was a 27-year study of a type of bird called the Eurasian sparrowhawk. He watched a group of these birds nesting in southern Scotland. This long study is considered one of the most detailed and longest-running research projects ever done on birds of prey.
Important Roles and Contributions
Before he retired, Ian Newton was a Senior Ornithologist at the United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council. This is a big organization that supports science. He also led the Avian Biology Section at the Monks Wood Research Station for many years.
He held many other important positions too. He was the Chairman of the Board for The Peregrine Fund, which works to protect birds of prey. He also chaired the Council of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, a large charity dedicated to bird conservation. He helped lead Saving India's Vultures from Extinction, an effort to save vultures in India. Ian Newton was also a visiting professor at the University of Oxford, teaching about birds.
He served as President of both the British Ornithologists' Union and the British Ecological Society from 1994 to 1995. These roles show how respected he is in the world of bird science and ecology.
Awards and Recognition
Ian Newton has received many awards for his important work studying birds:
- He was given the Union Medal of the British Ornithological Union in 1988.
- In 1991, he received the Gold Medal from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1993. This is a very high honor for scientists.
- In 1994, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- He received the Elliot Cowes Award from the American Ornithologists' Union in 1995.
- In 1999, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
- He also received the President's Medal from the British Ecological Society.
