Kenneth Williamson

Who was Kenneth Williamson?

Kenneth Williamson was a British ornithologist who had a strong association with Scotland and with bird migration.

Williamson was born in Bury Lancashire. From 1941-1945 he served with the British occupation of the Faroe Islands in World War II, in 1944 marrying Esther Louise Rein of Tórshavn with whom he had a daughter Hervor and son Robin. From 1948-1957 he was Director of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Subsequently he became a Senior Research Officer with the British Trust for Ornithology and from 1958-1963 he was editor of the journal Bird Migration. From 1959-1963 he served on the British Birds Rarities Committee.

On 2 February 1959 Williamson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.