Dioscoro Siarot Rabor ((1911-05-18)May 18, 1911–(1996-03-25)March 25, 1996), also known as Joe Rabor, was a
Filipinoornithologist,
zoologist, and
conservationist. Known as the "Father of Philippine Wildlife Conservation", he led more than 50 wildlife expeditions in the Philippines, authored 87 scientific papers and articles, and described 69 new
birdtaxa and numerous
mammal species.[3]
Rabor led many expeditions throughout the Philippine Islands to collect animal specimens, making a significant contribution to knowledge about Philippine wildlife and ecology. He often traveled with his wife, Lina N. Florendo Rabor, and their six children. Over several decades, he visited 25 islands in the Philippines and collected over 60,000 bird specimens. His field collection efforts allowed for the description of many new taxa, including 8 species and 61 subspecies of birds.[3]
Beginning in 1965, Rabor called attention to the decline of the
Philippine Eagle,[4] an endangered species found only in the forests of the Philippine Islands that faces widespread habitat loss.[7][8] His efforts to educate people around the world about the challenges facing the Philippine Eagle helped spur the involvement of
Peace Corps volunteers in Philippine Eagle conservation projects.[4][8] One of the volunteers, ornithologist Robert Kennedy,[8] returned to the Philippines to continue working on eagle conservation and awareness efforts, including successfully lobbying to change the name of the species from the "Monkey-eating Eagle."[4][8]
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ab"Dioscoro S. Rabor". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp.
ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Rabor", p. 215).