Yoshimaro Yamashina

Yoshimaro Yamashina (July 5, 1900 - January 28, 1989) was a Japanese ornithologist. He was the founder of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology.

Yamashina was born in Tokyo, the second son of Prince Kikumaro Yamashina. He developed a love of birds at an early age. After his discharge from the army he set up the Yamashina Institute, and it was here that he housed his extensive bird collections, ornithological library, and research facilities. He conducted his doctoral research on avian cytology, in affiliation with the University of Hokkaido.

Yamashina was co-author of the "Handlist of the Japanese Birds", and author of "Birds in Japan" (1961). In 1981 he described a new species of flightless rail from Okinawa Island. In 1977 he was awarded the Jean Delacour Prize, and in 1978 he received the Order of the Golden Ark from the World Wildlife Fund. Among Yamashinas scientific first descriptions are the Okinawa Rail, the Daito Winter Wren, the Rota Bridled White-eye, the Long-billed White-eye, the Tinian Monarch and the Palau Owl.

References

* [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v106n04/p0721-p0721.pdf Obituary, by S. Dillon Ripley]