A Naturalist in the Rainforest

In 1928, armed with a freshly-minted doctoral degree in botany and a university research fellowship to study banana plants, Alexander Skutch headed into the dense jungles of Panama. A chance encounter with a rufous-tailed hummingbird building a nest outside of his window would change his scientific focus to ornithology--a passion which he pursued in the rainforests of Central America for the next sixty years. This exquisitely photographed video is a lovely tribute to Skutch's pioneering work and contributions as a naturalist and ecologist. He was, for example, among the first naturalists to concentrate on observing the behavior of exotic birds in the wilds, rather than bringing the budgies back to a museum as stuffed samples. He was also the first to document the phenomenon of collective parenting among certain species of birds. Readings from Skutch's lyrical books and journals provide insight into his scientific and spiritual commitment to the gloriously diverse environment of the forest. While the attempt to combine biography, ethology, and a pitch for ecological responsibility tends to overload the video at times, it is generally a fine work, and would be a good addition to larger collections. Recommended. (G. Handman)