Hussein Adan Isack (born 1957) is a

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

and

ethnobiologist ] Ethnobiology is the multidisciplinary Academic discipline, field of study of relationships among peoples, Biota (ecology), biota, and environments integrating many perspectives, from the social sciences, social, biology, biological, and medicin ...

living in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, having been a research scientist in

ornithology Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

Background and youth

Hussein Adan Isack was born to parents who lived in the pastoral Northern region of

. Throughout his youth Hussein developed and cultivated a keen interest in bird watching and began keeping birds at his home. His interest was further stimulated when he joined his high school where he met Paul Scholes, a

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

, himself an ardent birdwatcher from

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. He reared falcons in school and would later become the leader of the wildlife clubs in his area. During his holidays, he would spend time pursuing his passion Later, he met

Van Someren Van Someren is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Barend van Someren (1572–1632), Dutch painter *Ellinor Catherine Cunningham van Someren (1915–1988), British-Kenyan medical entomologist * Haya van Someren (1926–1980), Dutch ...

, an ornithologist with whom he worked with at the National Museum of Kenya paving way for a

career A career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work (human activity), work and other aspects of personal life, life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ...

spanning over 30 years. He was later awarded the Christopher Welch Scholarship for

Natural Sciences Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

, where he studied

zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

and majored in

behavioral ecology Behavioral ecology, also spelled behavioural ecology, is the study of the evolutionary basis for ethology, animal behavior due to ecology, ecological pressures. Behavioral ecology emerged from ethology after Niko Tinbergen outlined Tinbergen's f ...

. It was during this time that Hussein travelled extensively across the world and met Heinz Ulrich Reyer, a zoologist from

Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

. The two would become close friends and colleagues. He then made frequent trips to the North alongside Heinz, studying the behavioural patterns of birds in that area, specifically the

honeyguide Honeyguides (family (biology), family Indicatoridae) are a family of birds in the order Piciformes. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus ''Pro ...

, a bird revered for its ability to locate and direct locals towards honey in the remote desert.

Professional life

Having received his PhD in

from Oxford, Hussein went back to

where he worked as a

scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...

at the National Museum of Kenya. He became the head of the

Ornithology Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

department and co-ordinated research activities in the region. He is a founding board member of the

Ewaso Ng'iro Ewaso Ng'iro, also called Ewaso Nyiro, is a river in Kenya which rises on the west side of Mount Kenya and flows north, then east and finally south-east, passing through Somalia where it joins the Jubba River. The river's name is derived from ...

Development Authority, appointed by H.E president

Daniel Toroitich arap Moi Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He is the country's longest-serving president to date. Moi previously served as the thi ...

, tasked with the responsibility of ensuring sustainable development of the water basin. In 1991, he took part in the making of a documentary,

The Trials of Life ''The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Behaviour'' is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the United Kingdom from 3 October 1990. A study in animal behaviour, it was the third in ...

with sir

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature d ...

, produced by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and the

Australian Broadcasting Service Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

. It focused on the communication between humans and birds, specifically the honeyguide on which Hussein was known for his expertise. Currently based in Kenya, he founded and runs th
Kivulini Heritage Trust
a Non-Governmental organization that seeks to preserve indigenous cultures and promote sustainable use of natural resources.

References

External links

BBC Two - Trials of Life, TALKING TO STRANGERS - 1991Hussein Adan Isack (Open Library)The Biology of the Greater Honeyguide Indicator Indicator, with Emphasis on the Guiding BehaviourThe Effect of Molting on the Gliding Performance of a Harris' Hawk ...The Making of The trials of life (VHS tape, 1993) [WorldCat.org
/nowiki>">orldCat.org">The Making of The trials of life (VHS tape, 1993) [WorldCat.org
/nowiki>br>of the World, 2003: Progress Toward a Sustainable Society SocietyWinged Messengers: The Decline of BirdsDie moderne Biologie und das Verhältnis zwischen-Hans Ulrich Reyer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isack, Hussein Adan Kenyan scientists Living people 1959 births