S. A. Hussain Biography 
S. A. Hussain was an Indian ornithologist and is notable for his work with Salim Ali at the Bombay Natural History Society. He named a species of frog as Nyctibatrachus Hussaini and this later triggered controversy.
He was born on 13th August 1944 in Karkala near Mangalore. His father was a notable lawyer. He studied at Basti Mission School and got university degree in science at Sri Bhuvanendra College at Karkala. He was selected as a research student for Bird Migration study by the Bombay Natural History Society. Though he had no formal education in zoology, he partnered with Salim Ali and conducted various surveys.
He became assistant curator of the BNHS in the year 1979 and served as the senior scientist from 1985 to 1990. He worked as the deputy director of research until 1992. He then moved to Malaysia and was headed by the Asian Wetland Bureau. He became the Vice Chairman of BirdLife International. In the year 1974 he became a part of the team that searched the Forest Owlet.
After his retirement he moved back to Karkala and started Biodiversity Initiative Trust there. This worked for the local people for the conservation of Kudremukh region. In the year 2003 he suggested that the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company township be changed into biodiversity research station. However this was stopped by the government of India.
He has published many papers about his studies on bird collection. This includes the range of Dinopium Shorii in the Eastern ghats and the range of Asian Palm Swift cypsiurus parvus infumatus. He visited the Narcondam Island to research on the Narcondam Hornbill and captured two adult hornbills and their chicks. They were taken to Bombay, the male died and the female escaped in Madras. He suggested that the species was close to Rhyticeros plicatus rather than to Rhyticeros undulates.
He coordinated the midwinter Asian Waterfowl Census by volunteers in India in 1987. He died on 30th December 2009.
Published: N/A
Updated: September 26, 2017
