VITAE

Ben Frank KING

Birthdate:	9 September 1937

Birthplace:	Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Citizenship:	USA

Education:	Bachelor of Science Degree (biology), Loyola University of Los 
		Angeles, 1959
		Master of Science degree (biology), Yale University, 1970

Military:	US Naval Officer, 1959-1962.

Profession:	Ornithologist, specializing in the study of Asian birds. I have 	
		done field work in many areas of southern and eastern Asia, 	
		indulging my research interests in systematics, vocalizations 
		and distribution.

Livelihood:	President of KingBird Tours, specializing in bird-watching 
		tours all over Asia, 1980-present. I design, market and lead 
		these tours. Occasional lecturer. Led 26 tours for Bird Bonanzas, 
		Quester's, and Attour, 1972-1980. These tours were in Alaska, 
		Burma, Thailand, Malaya, Sabah, Sumatra, Java, Bali, India, 
		Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Sri Lanka. Chief, Migratory Animals 
		Pathological Survey in Thailand, 1964-1966. This was a bird 
		migration study aimed at trying to discover if there are any 
		links between migratory birds and human disease. 93,000 birds 
		were banded, ectoparasites and blood smears were taken from 
		7,000 birds, and 34 species of birds new to Thailand were found.
 
Publications:	A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia: Covering 
		Burma, Malaya, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Hong 
		Kong. Collins, London. 1975. Also scientific and popular papers 
		on Asian birds (see attached list).

Grants/ Fellowships:	U.S. National Museum grant, 1967.
		Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund Grant, 1969, for research on 
		my SE Asia book at AMNH.
		Josslyn Van Tyne Memorial Fund Grant for Research, 1970.
		Fulbright Fellowship to India 1972/1973.
		3 N.W. Dible Foundation Grants for research and writing, 1973, 
		1976
		Explorers Club grant for research.
		Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund Grant, 1977, for field research 
		on owls and frogmouths in Sabah.
		New York Zoological Society 3-year grant for research on India 
		Bird Guide, 1978.

Honors:		Elected Elective Member of American Birding Association, 1971
		Elected Corresponding Member of Explorers Club, 1977.
		Appointed Honorary Laboratory Associate of Cornell Laboratory 
		of Ornithology, 1978.
		Elected Elective Member of American Ornithologists' Union, 1979.
		Elected Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, 1980.
		Appointed Field Associate of the American Museum of Natural 
		History, 1986.

Click here for a bibliography of Ben King's Publications.