Re. Ben F. King's Sibia
As the chapter of Mr King (literally, and sadly) has been closed, here's what I have in my notes about him, and 'his' Sibia, compiled a while ago, as I happened to take a look at this eponym back in 2022 (though, I haven't found time, or reason enough, to post it earlier. Thereby, sorry if I now repeat some of what's already been told in this thread) ...
kingi as in:
• the somewhat debated, hard-to-place Black-headed Sibia ssp.
Heterophasia melanoleuca/desgodinsi/engelbachi kingi EAMES 2002 (
here)
[yes, it's the same link as Martin's first link in post #1*], as "
Heterophasia melanoleuca kingi":
Etymology. I name this taxon in honour of Ben F. King, senior author of Birds of South-east Asia, which was the first comprehensive bird field guide to the region (q.v. King et al. 1975).
The Book/Field guide itself, below:
In those Days a veritable 'Bible', a necessity, for anyone Birding in this Region in the late 1970's and 1980's (with several later Editions) ... [or/alt. reprints, with other cover/s, alt. ditto (dust) cover/jacket/wrapper, with different cover illustration/s].
In the dear old (now defunct)
HBW Alive Key (of late March 2020) this eponym was explained as:
kingi / kingii
• ...
• Benjamin Francis King (b. 1937) US ornithologist, research associate at AMNH (subsp. Heterophasia desgodinsi).
• ...
All in line with today's (recently updated)
Key ... (even if the taxonomy now/since has shifted):
kingi / kingii
• ...
• Benjamin Francis King (1937-2024) US ornithologist, research associate at AMNH (subsp. Heterophasia engelbachi).
• ...
Either way, this far, I'd say (with a tiny addition) that it's aimed at
Benjamin 'Ben' F. King ...
If his second Given name truly was "Francis", or "Frank", I cannot tell, (I have no knowledge on neither one, it might be, or not), but either way, even if so, considering how he's known, all over the World (among Birdwatchers), both as an Author, and as a popular Travel Guide (
KingBird Tours,
here), etc., etc., ... as well as in the OD itself, I'd certainly insert a 'Ben'.
Also see the
KingBird Tour company itself
here (even if not updated since 18 July 2018), where we find his own
Vitae (see
here), in which his name was/is written: "Ben Frank KING",
alt. see the link Ben King, KBT President in the KingBird Tours above). He was still publishing in 2013, see Publications, on the same page, which goes all the way until No.121 (though, not "221", which is/was just a typo, just like the preceding one; No. 220", i.e. No. 120). In any case, he was a zealous writer.
As well, note that he's (at least I assume it's him
?) that we find: "Benjamin F. King, M.S. Research Associate"
here (in 2000) alt.
here (in 2001), mostly in line with what's told in the
Vitae above (as well as in the
Key): "Appointed Research Associate of the American Museum of Natural History, 2003". If it's him (which I assume), he's also found in/on
ResearchGate (
here), still publishing, at least until "May 2022".
[In this case "M.S." ought to be an Academic "Master of Science" (certainly
not a Manuscript, nor an undesired illness ...
]
Either way, also see
Prabook here (even if not always fully reliable).
Disclaimer –
Note: No official record/s seen.
If 'Ben Frank ...' (as it's written in his
Vitae) was a doubled-up use of two short-versions/'nick-names' (instead of the alleged "Benjamin Francis ...), who knows? Well, even if so, it's quite rare ...
Either way, I would certainly insert the short-version 'Ben' (as he was called/known in everyday-life), in any explanation of whom he was.
I assume that Paul (Scofield) would have access to some official record/s (he usually does), and that he might be able to confirm Mr King's full (true) name ...
?
Or, maybe there will now be some forthcoming Obituaries to await/consider. We'll see.
However, take the above for what it's worth, ... (just some random observations).
Cheers
Björn
PS. Also see the recent thread about the eponym
deborah, as in the (Rusty-naped) Pitta ssp.
Pitta/
Hydrornis oatesi deborah (King, BF, 1978),
here (see link no.2, alt.
here), which includes a Photo of (the old/aged) "Ben King"), in/of October 2015.
*Note; the dedication in the OD does say: "... in honour of Ben F. King, ...", not (the American) '... honor ...' as it was typed/quoted in post #1.
[for heaven's sake, it's a paper published in BBOC (Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club)]
