The fossil avifauna of the tar seeps Las Breas de San Felipe, Matanzas, Cuba

Suárez, William

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4780.1.1

Cited by 706 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…nov. Gigantohierax is the most distinctive and probably oldest genus of Accipitridae in the West Indies, resembling Old World vultures in some characters, and its osteology and relationships will be described elsewhere (Suárez et al unpubl.). In conclusion, Hispaniola and Cuba appear to have shared two large eagle-sized hawks, both endemic to the West Indies, and not related to the extinct Bahamian genus Titanohierax Wetmore, which is so far confined to the Lucayan archipelago (Wetmore 1937, Olson & Hilgartner 1982, Suárez 2020.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Full Issue

2021

Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club

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Bill Bourne died peacefully at Keith, in Scotland, on 31 May 2021, aged 91. Bill wrote so much: papers in this Bulletin are noted below, and are illustrative of the breadth and depth of his ornithological interests and knowledge. Much has been written about him over his working life as a medic, in travel, in research and writing. Bill featured as the 12th in the series 'Personalities' in the April 1978 issue of British Birds. The authors' perception of Bill, a legend of energy, knowledge and eccentricity were shown to stand the test of time. He joined the BOC in 1956. When I first met him in 1969 at the Autumn Scientific meeting of the British Ornithologists' Union he encouraged me to do so too, and he proved to be a great friend as I forged my early contacts in the world of exploration, museums, research and societies.Bill's energy and resourcefulness are well illustrated in his 1951 solo expedition to the Cape Verdes, as a result of which he contributed to the Bannermans' History of the birds of the Cape Verde Islands. His early enthusiasm for birds and their nests was imparted by three maiden aunts. At age seven his father introduced him to egg collecting, which he pursued for ten years, then saw the error, destroyed his collection, and joined the British Trust for Ornithology. He spent most of the war in Bermuda enjoying tropicbirds and terns, and learning about boats and seabirds. From this time his particular interest was the Tubinares. David Bannerman recounts how at the hottest time of year, with little money and no transport of any kind, Bill relied entirely on his wits in his solo Cape Verde endeavour. It says much for his stamina and enthusiasm that he walked across all of São Tiago, over the roughest country, while his journeys between the islands were perforce made in local schooners. With an interest more in ecology than in specimen collecting just one was taken, an example of a Purple Heron Ardea purpurea, from a colony he discovered on São Tiago. He was struck by the paleness of their plumage and the specimen he secured was sent to Paris. After some years, a new race was named by the Abbé René de Naurois in Bill's honour, A. p. bournei.Bill read medicine and zoology at Cambridge, and completed his training at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. Service in the RAF took him to Malta, Jordan and the Middle East at the time of the Suez crisis, then Cyprus, where he was co-founder and first recorder of the Cyprus Ornithological Society. His passionate interest in islands and seabirds came to the fore when, in 1961, he proposed to found the Seabird Group, which eventually formed in 1965, a timely formation ahead of the Torrey Canyon disaster in March 1967. He became its first secretary, whilst in the role of adviser to the Royal Naval Bird Watching Society (RNBWS) he codified the collection of avian data from ships at sea (Sea Swallow 13: 9-16), including ocean weather ships in the eastern Atlantic at a time when reports were pouring in. During this period, when I first met Bill, he worked at Watford Gen...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Full Issue

2021

Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club

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“…Although the bird he collected in 1828 could have been a leucistic Cathartes aura (see Zeiger et al 2017), it is also possible that it was an individual of the Cuban (Antillean?) extinct species Coragyps seductus, which was larger than C. atratus (Suárez 2020a). If the skin still exists, and its identity, are the subject of pending investigations.…”

Section: †Coragyps Seductusmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Pinar del Río. Minas de Matahambre: PPD = type locality (Castellanos 1968: 4 ['Ciconia'] Notes.-Remains of this large crane are known to be common in just three Cuban Quaternary deposits (see Fischer & Stephan 1971a, Suárez 2020a). In the original description, Fischer & Stephan (1971a: 565) mentioned: 'Cranium mit Atlas (Abb.…”

Section: †Nesotrochis Picapicensismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Type locality.-'North bank of "pool" near Wilshire Boulevard, Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California', USA (Howard 1935: 253) (Suárez & Olson 2003a, Suárez 2020a.…”

Section: †Nesotrochis Picapicensismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notes.-The commonest cathartid in Cuban Late Pleistocene / Early Holocene deposits, from where it is known by most of its skeletal elements (Suárez 2000a, 2020a, Suárez & Emslie 2003. Approximately the same size (not 'bigger', as incorrectly indicated by Gutiérrez Domech 2010 : 12, Gutiérrez Domech et al 2018: 42) as Andean Condor Vultur gryphus Linnaeus, 1758, and larger than California Condor Gymnogyps californianus (see Arredondo : 96, 1972cArredondo : 311, 1976Arredondo : 172, 1984.…”

Section: Order Incertae Sedis Family †Teratornithidae L Miller Genus ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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