Hydrornis oatesi deborah (King, BF, 1978) (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Hydrornis oatesi deborah (King, BF, 1978) OD here

The new pitta is named for my close friend Miss Deborah Bodner.

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

Rusty-naped Pitta ssp. Hydrornis oatesi deborah B. F. King, 1978 [Syn. Pitta oatesi deborah]
Deborah Bodner is a friend of the describer.

The Key to Scientific Names

Deborah Bodner (fl. 1978) friend of US ornithologist Ben King (subsp. Hydrornis oatesi).

No idea when Ben Frank Kings friend was born or anything else about her. But as she may hopefully still alive here dates (if found) may treated with care. Might be the same person as mentioned here or her?

 

[JustinJansen]

To inform Ben F. King died two days ago, per Facebook (Dale Dyer).

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Martin ('Taphrospilus'), just a saving clause, as this might/could be a tricky case ...🚦

Note that you're looking for a "Miss Deborah Bodner" (in 1978), that might be, or could be, a Mrs What-so-ever today (if still around, of course), at that time a "close friend" of the describer. A lot could have happened since ... or not. Also note that in the OD itself there's no indication that she, the dedicatee, was a librarian (at least not as far as I can tell). Of course she could have been. Or simply not.

Either way: Good luck finding her (in full).

/B

PS. And thanks Justin, for the sad news about Mr King.

 

[Taphrospilus]

Sure Björn. But somehow I would consider her as all literature entries is around the the same time of OD. But of course if the real dedicatee is not mentioned in any literature or any additional hint from the author somewhere else it might be the wrong track.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Fair enough Martin, like I said, it could be her (the librarian). Or not.

Also note this Book review, (from December 1998), of Erritzoe's Book Pittas of the World: A Monograph of the Pitta Family, where the reviewer:

... would be interested to know who Ben King's ... deborah was.

Clearly there are more than us, here on BirdForum, who have asked the same question.

Today there's (for example) one Birding Deborah (by the Surname Allen), of New York, who seems to have known 'Ben King' fairly well (in 2019) ... see here (with a Photo of him from back in October 2015). Could she maybe have been "Miss Deborah Bodner"?

I assume (read: guess) it's the same Deborah (Allen) as mentioned here (with address, and @-mail).

Either way, it's just an idea, a long-shot ... thereby, take it for what it's worth (if anything at all).

Anyone who knows? For sure?

/B