#kirtlands warbler
The Brain Scoop: 60 Second Specimens
Murder by Birder
Every specimen has a story: this one was donated to the Field Museum by a murderer.
Before he was charged and convicted with the murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks, Nathan Leopold was an active birder in the Chicago community. After his conviction and sentencing he donated his collection of birds and published checklists to the Field Museum, where they remain today.
Kirtland’s Warblers (Setophaga kirtlandii) are relatively rare birds, and back in the 1920’s little was known about their migration behavior or life histories. This specimen remains important today – not just for its historical significance in connection with a convicted murderer – but for the scientific value it provides as a voucher specimen for research.
Spring Migration Notes… by a Murderer – blog post on Fieldmuseum.org
Leopold and Loeb’s Criminal Minds – Smithsonian Magazine
Spring Migration Notes of the Chicago Area, including a written letter from Leopold to the Field inquiring about one of his specimens – Biodiversity Heritage Library
