Thomas Conrad von Baldenstein (28 January 1784 – 14 September 1878) was a Swiss

ornithologist 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 ...

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

and

apiarist A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees, a profession known as beekeeping. The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees in beehives, boxes, or other receptacles. The beekeeper does not control the creatures. The beekeeper o ...

. He produced a number of scientific works on the birdlife of the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

, and was the first to describe the

willow tit The willow tit (''Poecile montanus'') is a passerine bird in the tit (bird), tit family, Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and across the Palearctic. The plumage is grey-brown and o ...

Biography

Conrad was born at Baldenstein Castle in

Sils im Domleschg Sils im Domleschg ( Romansh: ''Seglias'') is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History Sils im Domleschg is first mentioned in 1149 as ''de Sillas''. Geography Sils im Domleschg has an area, (as of the ...

, in the Graubünden, the son of Francesco Conrad von Baldenstein and Katharina von Salis-Haldenstein. He attended school in Baldenstein and

Reichenau Reichenau may refer to: *Reichenau Island, a German island in Lake Constance **Reichenau Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery on the island **Reichenau, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality that encompasses the namesake island and five separate area ...

and began law studies at the

University of Erlangen A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

, which he did not complete. At around the age of 20, Conrad enlisted in the Christ Regiment, a unit of

Swiss mercenaries The Swiss mercenaries were a powerful infantry force constituting professional soldiers originating from the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy. They were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially among the military forces of th ...

in the service of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

. He left the regiment in 1816 with the rank of captain. After returning to Switzerland, Conrad occupied himself with managing his estates in Baldenstein and

Chiavenna Chiavenna (; ; ; or ; archaic or ) is a (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine Valchiavenna region. The historic town is a member of the Cittaslow movement. Geo ...

and devoted himself to the natural sciences, especially ornithology. Conrad published numerous works on natural history, including the first description of the

(1827). The manuscript of his unfinished work ''Die Vögel Graubündens'' ("The Birds of Graubünden") is kept in the State Archives of the Graubünden, as is ''Der Vogelbauer'', which contains 83 plates with watercolors and was first printed in 1981.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad von Baldenstein, Thomas 1784 births 1878 deaths Swiss mercenaries 19th-century Swiss military personnel 19th-century Swiss nobility Swiss ornithologists Swiss beekeepers 19th-century Swiss zoologists University of Erlangen–Nuremberg alumni