Fred Shaw Mayer

Frederick William Shaw MayerMBE (26 September 1899 – 1 September 1989), also well known as "Masta Pisin" or the "Bird Man" in New Guinea, was an Australian ornithologist, aviculturist and zoological collector. He is notable for his work in New Guinea, especially with birds-of-paradise.

Mayer was educated in Sydney at Homebush Primary School, Petersham High School and Sydney Grammar School. After leaving school Mayer had abortive career starts as a surveyor and in the building industry. Then he decided to follow his childhood interest in wildlife and became a zoological collector for museums and zoos.^[1]

Mayer became very skilled at caring for live mammals and birds as well as preparing their skins. His abilities as a collector and preparator were recognised early in his life. After an initial self-funded collecting expedition to South-East Asia, Mayer collected extensively through the 1920s in South-East Asia and New Guinea, concentrating on New Guinea almost exclusively from the 1930s onward. A principal client of his was Walter Rothschild, for whom he supplied specimens for the Rothschild Zoological Museum at Tring in Hertfordshire, England. Other clients included John Spedan Lewis and Jean Delacour.^[1]

In 1953 Mayer became manager of Sir Edward Hallstrom’s aviaries at Nondugl in the Wahgi Valley of the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea. This largely avicultural facility, which later became known as the Nondugl Bird of Paradise Sanctuary, acted mainly as a staging post for Taronga Zoo in Sydney, either to provide birds directly for Taronga, or for exchanges with other zoos. As well as managing the establishment, Mayer used it as a base for further collecting expeditions. He also became an expert on hand-rearing young birds-of-paradise.^[1]

Mayer también participó en la creación del Santuario del Río Baiyer , establecido después de que Hallstrom donara parte de su colección de aves del paraíso al gobierno de Papúa Nueva Guinea, entonces administrado por Australia. A pesar de sus problemas de salud, Mayer estableció los aviarios del santuario en 1967 y se desempeñó como gerente hasta su inauguración en 1968, tras lo cual renunció. Su último viaje de recolección en Nueva Guinea tuvo lugar a principios de 1970, desde Lae hasta las montañas Cromwell de la península de Huon . ^{[ 1 ]}

Mayer fue nombrado Miembro de la Orden del Imperio Británico (MBE) en los Honores de Año Nuevo de 1971 , "por servicios a la avicultura", ^{[ 2 ]} por su trabajo en el establecimiento de los santuarios de Nondugl y Baiyer River, así como por la cría de aves del paraíso. ^{[ 1 ]} También fue nombrado el primer miembro honorario vitalicio de la Sociedad Ornitológica de Papúa Nueva Guinea. Se retiró a Australia, donde vivió muchos años más en Nambour, Queensland , donde murió 25 días antes de cumplir 90 años. Se le conmemora en los nombres de varios animales de Nueva Guinea, entre ellos: ^{[ 1 ]}

• Astrapia de cola de cinta ( Astrapia mayeri )
• Zarigüeya pigmea de cola anillada ( Pseudochirulus mayeri )
• Ratón cepillo de Shaw Mayer ( Pogonomelomys mayeri )
• Rata de agua de Shaw Mayer ( Hydromys shawmayeri )