A Dictionary of Birds

A Dictionary of Birds is a significant work by Alfred Newton, a prominent British ornithologist of the 19th century. Newton, who became the first professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at the University of Cambridge, dedicated his career to the study of birds. His extensive contributions to ornithology include editing the journal Ibis and The Zoological Record.1

A Dictionary of Birds (1893–96) was a culmination of numerous articles Newton wrote for the Encyclopædia Britannica. This comprehensive dictionary is considered a valuable resource for understanding the history of ornithology and bird classification. Birds themselves are defined as warm-blooded vertebrates characterized by feathers and wings, unique among animals.12