Dr Hugh Alastair Ford is an Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n ornithologist.

In 1973 he moved to Australia, first to Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

 and then, in 1977, to the University of New England

University of New England, Australia

The University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....

 at Armidale. He is known for studies on honeyeaters, the ecology

Ecology

Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...

 of woodland

Woodland

Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...

 birds, and the relationship between birds and plants.

He joined the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union

Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union

The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...

 (RAOU) in 1975, and was editor of the RAOU journal Emu

Emu (journal)

Emu, subtitled Austral Ornithology, is the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. The journal was established in 1901 and is the oldest ornithological journal published in Australia...

1981-1985. In 1993 he was awarded the D.L. Serventy Medal for outstanding published work on birds in the Australasian region. As well as numerous published scientific papers, he has authored and edited several books. Among these are:

• Ford, Hugh A. (1989). Ecology of Birds. An Australian perspective. Australian Ecology Series. Surrey Beatty & Sons Pty Ltd: Sydney.
• Ford, Hugh A.; & Paton, D.C. (Eds). (1986). The Dynamic Partnership. Birds and plants in southern Australia. Handbooks of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia. Government Printer: Adelaide.
• Keast, Allen; Recher, H.F.; Ford, H.; & Saunders, D. (Eds). (1985). Birds of Eucalypt Forests and Woodlands: Ecology, Conservation, Management. Surrey Beatty & Sons Pty Ltd: Sydney.