Alexander Frank Skutch, US-born Costa Rican ornithologist and philosopher (Baltimore, Maryland 20 May 1904 – San Isidro del General 12 May 2004)

Son in law of naturalist Charles H. Lankester

Recognized as the world’s foremost expert on Neotropical birds of Central America

Authored over 200 papers and 40 books

ACHIEVEMENTS 

Studied life habits for about 300 bird species

Presented the diversity of reproductive rates among species

Demonstrated that the procreation of tropical birds is slower than that of the same families in the Northern Hemisphere

Explained the differences in size between litters of Neotropical and northern birds 

Discovered cooperative brooding (1935)

Defined associations and interactions that some animal species establish with their environment

Collected plant species unknown to science in Central America

HONORS

Skutchia Pax & K. Hoffmann 1937 (Plantae)

Skutchia Willis 1968 (Aves)