Bourne's Heron Ardea purpurea bournei Naurois, 1966 [Alt. Purple Heron ssp.]
Dr William (Bill) Richmond Postle Bourne (b.1930) is, he tells us, 'more or less retired' but as an Honorary Research Fellow still works at the Department of Zoology, Aberdeen University. After qualifying as a physician he practised geriatrics and joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, serving as a naval surgeon (1983–1991) including during the First Gulf War. He is a prolific author with many publications in scientific journals from 'Notes on autumn migration in the Middle East' (1959) to 'Phalaropes in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman' (1997). His particular areas of interest are birds of the Middle East, birds of islands and seabirds. He collected the heron (1951) during a solitary undergraduate expedition. He skinned it and took it to the UK by which time it stank and was maggoty. The BMNH told him it was was just a faded Purple Heron and it was only after Abbé Réné de Naurois collected more examples that it was recognised as being different. It is sometimes referred to as Bourne's Heron but Dr Bourne told us he thinks a better name would be Pale Purple Heron.
