James Ferguson-Lees facts for kids

Ian James Ferguson-Lees (born 8 January 1929 in Italy – died 11 January 2017) was a British expert on birds, also known as an ornithologist. He became well-known as a member of the British Birds Rarities Committee. With his colleagues John Nelder and Max Nicholson, he helped show that the famous "Hastings Rarities" were not real.

Early Life and Bird Watching

Ian Ferguson-Lees spent his early childhood in Italy and France. Later, he was educated in Bedford, England. He decided to become a teacher for seven years instead of studying zoology at Oxford University. From a young age, he learned about birds from a man named Bernard Tucker.

Ian was also a keen twitcher. This means he loved to travel far and fast to see rare birds. Once, he drove all night just to see a dusky thrush in a place called Hartlepool.

Working with Birds

In 1952, a famous ornithologist named Max Nicholson asked Ian to join the team at British Birds magazine. Ian started as an Assistant Editor. Two years later, in 1954, he became the Executive Editor, which meant he was in charge of the magazine's daily operations.

From 1959 to 1963, Ian Ferguson-Lees was a member of the British Birds Rarities Committee. This group checks if sightings of rare birds in Britain are real.

The Hastings Rarities Mystery

One of Ian's most important jobs was helping to expose the "Hastings Rarities". This was a big mystery involving many rare birds. A taxidermist (someone who prepares, stuffs, and mounts animal skins to make them look alive) had created a collection of rare birds. However, the stories about where these birds came from were not true.

Ian, along with John Nelder and Max Nicholson, carefully investigated these birds. They found out that the birds were not actually seen in Britain as claimed. Their work showed that the "Hastings Rarities" were fake. This was a very important discovery for bird watching in Britain.

Studying Specific Birds

Ian Ferguson-Lees spent a lot of time studying certain birds. He was especially interested in peregrines, which are very fast birds of prey. He also studied dunnocks, which are small, common garden birds.

Ian Ferguson-Lees passed away on 11 January 2017. He had two sons and two daughters.