Hans Christian Cornelius Mortensen
Encyclopedia
Hans Christian Cornelius Mortensen (27 August 1856 - 7 June 1921) was a Danish
teacher
and ornithologist
. He was the first to employ bird ringing
for scientific purposes.
Mortensen was born in Jonstrup on the island of Zealand, Denmark. After completing secondary school in 1874 he began studies in first theology and later in medicine and zoology at the University of Copenhagen
without finishing any of these studies. He then worked as a schoolteacher at different schools in the Copenhagen
area before, in 1888 and despite the lack of a university degree, became a master at the High School of Viborg
in Jutland
where he stayed for the rest of his life. From 1909 he held the post as a senior master. In 1891 he married Ingeborg Lemming (1858-1938), a fellow teacher and feminist who assisted him with his bird ringing. The couple had no children.
Mortensen's first successful experiments with bird ringing took place in 1899 with Common Starlings. Most were caught in nest box
es with an automatic closing mechanism. Later he also ringed White Stork
s, heron
s, gull
s and various species of duck
. It is said that he personally ringed more than 6000 birds during his lifetime. He made most of his bird rings himself, cutting them from aluminium
sheet and stamping each with an address and an individual number. From 1906 he received some financial assistance from the Carlsberg Foundation
.
In 1906 he was a cofounder of the Danish Ornithological Society. In 1909 he was made a corresponding member of the Hungarian Ornithological Society.
Hans Christian C. Mortensen was a very distinctive character. As a teacher he was both feared by and popular among his students. He went on field trips with the students, something unusual at that time. He was also known as a keen piano
and cello
player.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
. He was the first to employ bird ringing
Bird ringing
Bird ringing or bird banding is a technique used in the study of wild birds, by attaching a small, individually numbered, metal or plastic tag to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later...
for scientific purposes.
Mortensen was born in Jonstrup on the island of Zealand, Denmark. After completing secondary school in 1874 he began studies in first theology and later in medicine and zoology at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
without finishing any of these studies. He then worked as a schoolteacher at different schools in the Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
area before, in 1888 and despite the lack of a university degree, became a master at the High School of Viborg
Viborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
in Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
where he stayed for the rest of his life. From 1909 he held the post as a senior master. In 1891 he married Ingeborg Lemming (1858-1938), a fellow teacher and feminist who assisted him with his bird ringing. The couple had no children.
Mortensen's first successful experiments with bird ringing took place in 1899 with Common Starlings. Most were caught in nest box
Nest box
A nest box, also spelled nestbox is a man-made box provided for animals to nest in. Nest boxes are most frequently utilized for wild and domesticated birds, in which case they are also called birdhouses, but some mammalian species may also use them. Birdhouses are the most common types of nest...
es with an automatic closing mechanism. Later he also ringed White Stork
White Stork
The White Stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to end of tail, with a wingspan...
s, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s, gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s and various species of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
. It is said that he personally ringed more than 6000 birds during his lifetime. He made most of his bird rings himself, cutting them from aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
sheet and stamping each with an address and an individual number. From 1906 he received some financial assistance from the Carlsberg Foundation
Carlsberg Foundation
Carlsberg Foundation was founded by J. C. Jacobsen in 1876 and owns 30,3% of the shares in Carlsberg Group and has 74,2% of the voting power.The purpose of the foundation is to run and fund Carlsberg Laboratory, the museum at Frederiksborg Palace, to fund scientific research, run the Ny Carlsberg...
.
In 1906 he was a cofounder of the Danish Ornithological Society. In 1909 he was made a corresponding member of the Hungarian Ornithological Society.
Hans Christian C. Mortensen was a very distinctive character. As a teacher he was both feared by and popular among his students. He went on field trips with the students, something unusual at that time. He was also known as a keen piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
player.