# Malcolm Davis

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{{short description|American ornithologist}}
{{for|people with a similar name|Malcolm Davies (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2020}}
'''Malcolm Davis''' (1899 – October 4, 1977) was an American [ornithologist](/source/ornithologist) and bird keeper.

==Early life==
Davis was born at [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) in 1899. He studied at the [University of Maryland](/source/University_of_Maryland), and later graduated from [George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University) with a degree in zoology. During World War I, he served in the [Army Signal Corps](/source/Army_Signal_Corps).<ref name="obit" />

==Career==
Davis joined the [National Zoological Park](/source/National_Zoological_Park_(United_States)) in 1927 and eventually became the head keeper of the bird division. Throughout his career, Davis undertook expeditions to every continent, including [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica) on three occasions.<ref name=obit>{{cite journal |last1=Behle |first1=William H. |last2=Storer |first2=Robert W. |last3=Whitney |first3=Nathaniel R. |last4=Manville |first4=Richard H. |last5=Orr |first5=Robert T. |last6=Hertlein |first6=Leo G. |display-authors=etal |title=Obituaries |journal=The Auk |date=October 1971 |volume=88 |issue=4 |page=962 |doi=10.2307/4083872 |jstor=4083872 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4083872 |access-date=December 14, 2020|url-access=subscription }}</ref> He successfully procured diverse specimens, including notable megafauna like the [Sumatran tiger](/source/Sumatran_tiger) and [Indian rhinoceros](/source/Indian_rhinoceros). Davis accompanied [Richard E. Byrd](/source/Richard_E._Byrd) to conduct surveys of the [Davis Islands](/source/Davis_Islands_(Antarctica)), which were subsequently named in his honor. Notably, he also transported live [emperor penguin](/source/emperor_penguin)s to the National Zoological Park on March 5, 1940.<ref name=obit/><ref>{{cite web |title=Record Unit 74 Records, 1887-1966 |url=https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_216681 |website=Smithsonian Institution Archives |access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref> He kept some alive for six years, a record at the time.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Washington Biologists' Field Club: Its Members And Its History (1900-2006) |url=https://wbfc.science/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/wbfc_booksm.pdf |publisher=The Washington Biologists' Field Club |access-date=December 14, 2020 |page=107}}</ref>

Davis took part in [Operation Windmill](/source/Operation_Windmill) to collect animals such as penguins and [leopard seal](/source/leopard_seal)s. He traveled on board the [USCGC ''Edisto''](/source/USCGC_Edisto_(WAGB-284)).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brady |first1=Hillary |title=Explore the Arctic with Operation Windmill |url=https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/explore-arctic-operation-windmill |website=Smithsonian Institution Archives |access-date=December 14, 2020 |date=January 28, 2016}}</ref>

Davis retired from the zoo in 1960, but remained as a consultant to the [National Wildlife Federation](/source/National_Wildlife_Federation). He also took care of a monkey colony at the [Woodard Research Corporation](/source/Woodard_Research_Corporation) in [Herndon, Virginia](/source/Herndon%2C_Virginia).<ref name="obit" />

He died at his home in Herndon, on October 4, 1970, of a heart attack.<ref name=obit/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Malcolm (ornithologist)}}
Category:Scientists from Washington, D.C.
Category:American ornithologists
Category:American Antarctic scientists
Category:1899 births
Category:1977 deaths
Category:20th-century American zoologists

{{US-ornithologist-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Malcolm Davis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Davis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Davis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.