Glenn Duggan, FZS
Details of Talks
The oldest known bird illustration from the Chauvet Caves SW France circa 30,000 BC - A finger painting of a Scops Owl
A History of Bird Art From Cave Paintings to Present Day
This presentation which has been a favourite of RSPB Local Groups over the years is not a comprehensive record of bird illustrations covering 30,000 years - that would be impossible. Rather it is a journey, with stops at important points along the way.
Glenn takes the audience from cavemen (30,000 years ago) to ancient Greece and Rome when Bird and other animal Art was used as part of ancient religious/spiritual rites.
He highlights the bird art of medieval times when artists embellished with birds for monarchs and monasteries and provides explanations as to why that was done, including why the gold crest was so often in such documents.
The first attempts at Scientific illustrations in the 17th & 18th Century are described together with problems encountered. A full account is given to the great progress made in North America which led in bird illustration at this time.
The 19th Century - the hey day of bird illustration is comprehensively covered highlighting the work of John Gould, John James Audubohn, Edward Lear and Joseph Wolf. The aims of these artists was to provide accurate scientific work whilst at the same time entertain with their art work.
The presentation ends with the work of Thornburn, Tunnicliffe, Elizabeth Butterworth and William T Cooper, and an explanation why bird art still has a significant part to play in our lives despite the advent of advanced photographic equipment.
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John Gould v John James Audubon - The battle in Victorian Times to be "The Birdman"
In this talk Glenn discusses the lives and careers of two of the greatest bird artists or impresarios who have ever lived, who took bird illustrations to a level that had not been seen before. Both came from completely different backgrounds and yet came to dominate the world of 'subscription bird art' in a fascinating battle for dominance. John Gould the first Curator and Preserver of the Zoological Society was accused of exploiting his position to gain that dominance whilst John James Audubon had to travel from the United States to the United Kingdom to have his art work printed and published. Audubon's book; "The Birds of America is the most expensive printed book in the world, selling for $11.5 million in 2010. Audubon also had a National Society dedicated to the conservation of birds, other wildlife and healthy ecosystems named after him; The National Audubon Society. Audubon is far more well known than Gould to-day but who won the battle at the time?
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Birding in Panama including
the Darien (the last frontier)
This is a very popular talk with RSPB Groups because it includes extensive information on birding in Panama which Glenn has extensive knowledge of, having made three trips to this bird rich county. Of particular interest is Glenn's knowledge of staying in the Darien on the border with Columbia and an area that is not open to birders because of the terrorist dangers.
In this talk Glenn provides a good background knowledge to the geography of Panama and how this affects the bird species found there. He describes the most accessible rainforest in the world with its very rich bird species around the pipeline road (adjacent to the canal) close to Panama City before talking about the area around Chiriquí in the North West, close to the border with Costa Rica. Here he talks about seeing one of the most beautiful birds in the world; the Queztal which is only found at altitude here. The talk then takes us to the Darien where a small aircraft lands in the middle of the rainforest and leaves you for a week at Cana, close to Mount Pirre. The bird life in this area is some of the best in the world and the climb up Mount Pirre amazing with a number of endemics. Glenn covers the dangers of birding in this area which are numerous and very real indeed.
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Birding in Argentina
This is a country that Glenn knows very well indeed having made numerous trips over the years. Glenn helped create a travel company that undertook birding trips to Argentina. He will provide a flavour of the country which is a modern country with a European feel about it.
He will cover a number of great birding areas including Buenos Aires itself which is a great place to start a birding trip to Argentina. He will cover Southern Argentina first; the Pampas, Valdes Peninsula and Punta Tombo and Bariloche. Glenn will then take us North to the massive wetland system of Iberá, the humid savannas of the Chaco and the rain forest of Iguazú National Park on the border with Brazil. Argentina is the second largest country in South America and is home to around 1000 species and about a dozen endemics.
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Birds of Paradise & Bower Birds
This family is the favourite bird species of David Attenborough. This presentation has proved to be a favourite of RSPB Groups through the years and it never disappoints. It covers all aspects of the Birds of Paradise and their relatives; Bower Birds.
There are 42 species of Birds of Paradise and 20 species of Bower Birds. These two members of the crow family are found exclusively in the island of New Guinea and some of it's off-shore islands as well as Northern Australia. Interestingly Birds of Paradise have evolved some of the most elaborate feathers in the bird world as well as some of the most amazing courtship displays making them arguably the most interesting species of birds in the world.
Bower Birds are no less interesting in that they make up for a lack of elaborate colourful feathers by building a unique courtship display area - the bower, which they meticulously build and decorate and then defend in the hope that the female will be attracted by the male's artistic and building skills.
In a fascinating talk Glenn explains how the geography of New Guinea has helped evolve these two bird families, how the Birds of Paradise has played an important part in the culture of New Guinea, covers most of the species and their characteristics and with some of the species under threat what is being done to ensure they are not threatened.
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The Tanager Family of Birds
Tanagers are small to medium-sized birds that are restricted to the New World and mainly to the tropics. Tanagers are the second-largest family of birds and represent about 4% of all avian species and 12% of the Neotropical birds. There are about 240 species of tanagers have been described, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux. As more of these birds are studied using modern molecular techniques, some genera are being relocated elsewhere. Despite the size of this family and the fact that these birds are some of the most beautifully coloured in the bird world little is known about them by birders. It is extremely difficult for more than a handful of species to be seen on each birding trip because most species are endemic to a relatively small area. In this presentation Glenn will provide an insight into this beautiful family of birds including the cherry-throated tanager one of the most Critically Endangered of Bird Species.
William T Cooper's Blue Bird of Paradise
The World's Greatest Bird Artists
In this talk Glenn invites the audience to chose who is the World’s greatest bird artist. Glenn begins his talk by providing some background information on art generally stating that art should make you think! Art should take you to places! Art should make you feel things! Art should make you look! Glenn then outlines bird art through the ages explaining how things were so much more difficult for the earlier bird artists before providing a score sheet to the audience as they are told something about the 30 odd candidates for their consideration and examples of their work. Artists such as Charles Tunnicliffe, Peter Scott, John James Audubon, Archibold Thorburn are on that list. At the end of the presentation the score sheets are collected and the results are announced.
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The Scientific Voyages of Discovery of the 18th & 19th Century
This presentation provides a unique insight into the main period of scientific voyages of discovery, (the 18th and 19th Centuries). It concentrates on the 'thirst' for natural history knowledge. The voyages were extremely hazardous (main of the crew suffering death through scurvy for example) and the problems encountered immense including the recording of what was seen (the giant Moa and the dodo for example). The talk is of general interest and would be suitable for natural history groups, historical societies, bird groups etc.
During the period covered by the presentation England was largely an agricultural nation, developing quickly as an industrial nation. The population was 10 million ( London 1 million). Travel was by horse drawn carriages, main routes were dirt or rock. Ocean travel was by wind power. The flintlock muzzle loaded gun was the main weapon.
At this time there were 3000 known forms of birds and to see them close up you had to view them through a telescope.
By the end of the 19th century the number of known species of bird had risen to in excess of 12,000 (many species have now been recategorised and are sub species etc). It is now generally accepted that there are approximately 9,700 species in the world.
The presentation covers amongst many things the voyage of HMS Beagle, the ship in which the naturalist, Charles Darwin, sailed around the world between 1831 and 1836. The Beagle visited sites like the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. The rich variety of animal and plant species that Darwin saw on the voyage led him to develop his theory of evolution.
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Birding in Gambia & the Sine-Saloum Delta (Southern Senegal)
This talk may be at no cost to a Society or RSPB Group with the speakers fee and expenses being paid for by the Gambia Experience - Ask Glenn for details
Glenn describes in detail this great birding destination which is an excellent place for European birdwatchers to visit. It is English speaking, affordable, it has excellent hotels and it’s dry season coincides with the British winter and it is just under 2700 miles or 6 hours flying time from London. There are some amazing opportunities for birdwatching. It has over 540 species and everything is in relatively close proximity, meaning you don’t have to travel far to see some amazing things – you’ll even find a whole host of exotic species in your hotel gardens. So whether you’re a first timer, a keen amateur or an enthusiast looking for particular species, you’ll find something to inspire you and the Sun is guaranteed. The target birds for the trip are the Violet and Green Turacos, the Lilac and Abyssinian Rollers, several species of Bee-eaters, about 7 Kingfisher species, several sunbirds, many water birds including the very large Goliath Heron and any number of birds of prey including many European species over wintering such as Ospreys and Black Kites. Glenn will provide you with all the information you would want to obtain to make a decision on a trip to Gambia to enjoy the sun and the birds.
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A Birding Trip to the Pantanal, Brazil
Glenn has made a trip to the Pantanal several times with his brother in law, a land owner in the area and he has gained a terrific insight into these immense tropical wetlands - the largest in the world about 54,000 to 75,000 sq miles. The Pantanal is a huge, gently-sloped basin that receives runoff from the upland areas slowly releasing the water through the Paraguay River and tributaries.
The area is located mainly in western Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state. It is renowned for its wildlife, includes over 3,500 known plant species, 800+ bird species, 400 fish species, 300 mammalian species, 480 reptile species and over 9000 different subspecies of invertebrates. This is a place where jaguars are seen frequently.
The best time to visit to see the wild life is the dry season which causes lagoons to form which become smaller and smaller which concentrates the fish, the birds and everything else making it easier for a visitor to see and photograph.
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Birding in South Africa
Glenn has visited South Africa several times on birding trips. South Africa is one of the best value destinations in the world. The outstanding infrastructure, great accommodation, excellent food, wonderful South African hospitality, spectacular and varied scenery, and the presence of Africa’s big and small mammals makes it one of the most pleasant countries in the world to bird in.
In this talk Glenn covers the birding areas around Johannesburg (Gauteng province) where approximately 350 species are regularly present. Gauteng province offers the visitor 60 endemic species or near endemics. Gauteng lies is located at relatively high altitude (1000 – 1600m) known as the highveld. Glenn also covers the Kruger National Park, birding around South Africa's Coastal Garden Route centred upon Knysna and birding around Cape Town. Cape birding targets include African Penguin, Black Harrier, Southern Black Korhaan, the glittering Orange-breasted Sunbird, Cape Sugarbird and Cape Rockjumper. A typical birding tour to these area of South Africa should produce up to 500 bird and 50 mammal species on a normal birding trip.
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Trogons - True Birds of the Tropics
Trogons which include quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae which contains 39 species in seven genera. They are closely related to mousebirds and owls. Glenn describes in detail these beautiful birds which nest in holes in trees (the word trogon is Greek for "nibbling" and refers to the fact that these birds gnaw holes in trees). Trogons are residents of tropical forests worldwide centred on Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Glenn will cover all 39 species including the spectacular Quetzals, whom the Mayan Civilisation called the bird of the gods and to take their feathers was certain death. He will fill in the audience why their bills are broad, they have weak legs, do not fly distances, and have never been the favoured specimen of taxidermists despite their colourful plumage. They are the only animal with a heterodactyl toe arrangement.
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The Rare and Extinct Birds of the World
The latest figures show that of the world's 9,895 bird species,
4 are now extinct in the wild,
190 are Critically Endangered,
372 are Endangered,
62 are Data Deficient
and 678 are Vulnerable. Glenn looks at these figures and looks at the reasons why our bird species are suffering so much.
He looks at examples where species have become extinct and the reasons for their extinction such as the Philip Island Parrot,
The Great Auk, New Zealand Quail,
Carolina Parakeet, the New Zealand
Huia
and the Passenger Pigeon which is possibly the most abundant bird in modern times, and yet is now extinct.
Glenn looks at the global hot spots for extinctions such as SE Asia and adjoining islands, Madagascar (89% of bird species endemic), the Atlantic Forest of Eastern Brazil, Hawaiian Islands and North West South America. He ends his talk with covering the top 10 rarest birds in the world and what is being done to save these species and others as well as providing up to date information on new species that have been discovered.
