Who Was Helmut Sick?

Helmut Sick was born in Leipzig, Germany, on January 10th, 1910. Like many ornithologists, he became interested in birds at a young age. A trip to Brazil changed his life and he never returned to Germany, even after being jailed for three years when Brazil warred with Germany during WWII. He became the leading ornithologist in Brazil and helped others study neotropical birds.

Helmut Sick had an amazing ear for identifying bird sounds and shared his knowledge freely, a great trait in any scientist. He published many papers and The Birds of Brazil. Helmut Sick passed away in 1991 at age 81 and will be remembered always for his great ornithology work in Brazil.