Mikhail Aleksandrovich Menzbier (23 October 1855 - 10 October 1935) was a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n 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...

. Based in Moscow, he was a founding member of Russia’s first ornithological body, the Kessler Ornithological Society. One of his major areas of work was on the taxonomy of birds of prey

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

. Menzbier was a professor of comparative anatomy

Comparative anatomy

Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...

 at Moscow University from 1886 until 1911, when he resigned in protest against the oppressive treatment of students there. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917 he became Rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 of the University. As well as being a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Russian Academy of Sciences

The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....

, Menzbier was elected an honorary member of the British Ornithologists' Union

British Ornithologists' Union

The British Ornithologists' Union aims to encourage the study of birds in Britain, Europe and elsewhere, in order to understand their biology and to aid their conservation....

 and the Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft

Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft

The Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft was founded in 1850, and is one of the world's oldest existing scientific societies. Its goal is to support and further scientific ornithology on all levels. It publishes the Journal of Ornithology, founded in 1853....

, and a corresponding member of the Zoological Society of London

Zoological Society of London

The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...

 and the American Ornithologists' Union

American Ornithologists' Union

The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...

. He is commemorated in the names of Menzbier's Marmot

Menzbier's Marmot

The Menzbier's Marmot is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss. Its name commemorates Russian zoologist Mikhail Aleksandrovich Menzbier.-References:*Thorington,...

and the Menzbier Ornithological Society.