Kenneth Williamson

Kenneth Williamson (1914 – 14 June 1977) was a British ornithologist who had a strong association with Scotland and with bird migration.

Williamson was born in Bury Lancashire. From 1941-1945 he served with the British occupation of the Faroe Islands in World War II, in 1944 marrying Esther Louise Rein of Tórshavn with whom he had a daughter Hervor and son Robin. From 1948-1957 he was Director of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Subsequently he became a Senior Research Officer with the British Trust for Ornithology and from 1958-1963 he was editor of the journal Bird Migration. From 1959-1963 he served on the British Birds Rarities Committee.

On 2 February 1959 Williamson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Bibliography

As well as numerous ornithological papers, books authored or coauthored by Williamson include:

• 1937 – The Sky’s Their Highway. Putnam: London. (Illustrated by Charles Tunnicliffe)
• 1948 – The Atlantic Islands. A Study of the Faeroe Life and Scene. Collins: London.
• 1960 – St Kilda Summer. Hutchinson: London. (With J. Morton Boyd).
• 1963 – A Mosaic of Islands. Oliver & Boyd: London. (With J. Morton Boyd).
• 1965 – Fair Isle and its Birds. Oliver & Boyd: London.

References

• Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783-2002. Biographical Index, Part 2.
• Williamson, Kenneth; & Boyd, J. Morton. (1960). St Kilda Summer. Hutchinson: London.
• Williamson, Kenneth. (1970). The Atlantic Islands. Routledge & Kegan Paul: London. (2nd edition). ISBN 0-7100-6911-1