Maria Koepcke facts for kids

Maria Koepcke (born May 15, 1924 – died around December 24, 1971) was a German scientist. She was an ornithologist, meaning she studied birds. Maria was especially known for her work on birds from the Neotropical region, which includes parts of Central and South America.

She was a respected expert on South American birds. Her research is still used by scientists today. To honor her work, four types of Peruvian birds and one Peruvian lizard species are named after her. The lizard is also named after her husband.

Maria Koepcke's Life Story

Maria Emilie Anna von Mikulicz-Radecki was born in Leipzig, Germany, on May 15, 1924. Her father, Felix von Mikulicz-Radecki, was a university professor. Her mother was Käthe Finzenhangen. Maria's father's family had Polish roots. A famous Polish surgeon, Jan Mikulicz-Radecki, was a relative.

When she was young, Maria decided to study animals. In 1949, she earned her doctorate degree in zoology from the University of Kiel in Germany. A doctorate is a very high university degree. While at Kiel, she met Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke, who was also studying zoology.

After finishing their studies, Maria and Hans-Wilhelm traveled to Peru. They wanted to study the birds and other wildlife there. They got married in Peru in 1950. They lived in Miraflores, a town near Lima, the capital city. They also managed a visitor's center called Casa Humboldt until 1967. Their only child, a daughter named Juliane Koepcke, was born in Lima in 1954.

Maria Koepcke passed away at age 47. This happened after a plane crash in the Peruvian jungle. On December 24, 1971, she and Juliane were on a flight to Pucallpa. They were going to meet Hans-Wilhelm for Christmas. The plane crashed because of a lightning strike during a big storm.

Maria was badly hurt in the crash and died a few days later. Her daughter, Juliane, was the only person to survive the crash. Juliane, who was a teenager, hiked through the rainforest for eleven days. She was injured and had no food, but she found help.

At the time of her death, Maria Koepcke was a department head. She worked at a natural history museum in Lima. This museum was part of the National University of San Marcos. She was also a member of the German Ornithologists' Society.

After Maria's death, Hans-Wilhelm and Juliane moved back to Germany. Juliane left in 1972, and Hans-Wilhelm in 1974. Hans-Wilhelm taught zoology at the University of Hamburg until he passed away in 2000. Juliane also studied zoology at the University of Kiel, like her parents. She became a mammalogist, which means she studies mammals, especially bats.

Studying Birds: Ornithology

Maria Koepcke moved to Lima in 1950. She was 26 years old and started working at the Javier Prado museum. She and her husband went on many trips across the region. They called their home in Lima "Casa Humboldt."

Maria collected more than 1,500 bird specimens. These are examples of birds used for scientific study. Between 1954 and 1971, she described 14 new types of birds. Some of the new species she described include the Zaratornis stresemanni, Synallaxis zimmeri, and Asthenes cactorum. She often drew the pictures for her scientific papers herself.

Several animal species were named in her honor:

• Koepcke's screech owl, Megascops koepckeae
• Koepcke's hermit, Phaethornis koepckeae
• Koepke's hairy-nosed bat, Mimon koepckeae
• Selva cacique, Cacicus koepckeae
• Sira curassow, Pauxi koepckeae
• Frost's iguana, Microlophus koepckeorum (This lizard was named for both Maria and her husband, Hans-Wilhelm.)

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  Koepke's Hermit Hummingbird

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  Range of Koepke's Hermit hummingbird (Phaethornis koepckeae)

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  Range of the Selva Cacique (Cacicus koepckeae)

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  Range of the Koepcke's Screech-owl (Megascops koepckeae)

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  1838 illustration of the Sira curassow

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  Frost's Iguana: named after Maria Koepcke and her husband

See also

In Spanish: Maria Koepcke para niños