Jack Vincent facts for kids

Jack Vincent was an amazing English bird expert, also known as an ornithologist. He was born in London in 1904. He spent a lot of his life studying and protecting birds, especially in Africa. He even received a special award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his important work.

Jack Vincent's Life Story

Jack Vincent moved to South Africa when he was 21 years old. He worked on farms there for a while. Later, he went back to England and became a bird collector for the British Museum in London. This meant he helped collect birds for their scientific collections.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Jack went on many exciting trips, called expeditions, with Hubert Lynes. They explored different parts of East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa to study birds. One of his most famous trips was to Mount Namuli in Mozambique in 1932. There, he discovered some new types of birds that scientists had never seen before! These included the Namuli apalis and the dapple-throat.

In 1934, Jack married Mary Russell in Cape Town. A few years later, in 1937, he bought a farm in the Mooi River area of Natal, South Africa.

Serving His Country

During World War II, Jack Vincent served as a colonel with the Natal Carbineers, a military unit. He served in East and Northern Africa. After the war, he was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire award for his excellent service. In 1942, he moved to Haifa in what was then called the British Mandate of Palestine, to work for the British Army.

Protecting Wildlife

In 1949, Jack Vincent became a special member of the American Ornithologists' Union. He also became the first director of the Natal Parks, Game and Fish Preservation Board, often called the Natal Parks Board. This group was very important in helping to protect the white rhinoceros in KwaZulu-Natal during the 1950s.

From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, he was the editor of Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology. This was the main magazine for the South African Ornithological Society, where bird experts shared their discoveries.

From 1963 to 1967, Jack worked on projects to protect birds with the International Council for Bird Preservation (which is now called BirdLife International). For this important work, he received a gold medal from the World Wildlife Fund.

He rejoined the Natal Parks Board in 1967 and retired in 1974. After his wife Mary passed away in 1989, Jack Vincent moved to Pietermaritzburg. In 1993, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which is a special award for his achievements. He passed away in 1999 at the age of 95.

A Squirrel Named After Him

In 1950, a special type of squirrel was named in honor of Jack Vincent. It's called Vincent's bush squirrel (Paraxerus vincenti). This squirrel is only found on Mount Namuli and is an endangered species, meaning it needs protection.

Jack Vincent's Books

• Check List of the Birds of South Africa, 1952
• The Red Book: Wildlife in Danger, with James Fisher, Noel Simon, 1969
• Web of Experience: An Autobiography, 1989

See also

In Spanish: Jack Vincent para niños