Biography:Miles McMullan

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Short description: Irish author, conversationist and naturalist
Author and Illustrator Miles McMullan in his Studio

Miles McMullan (born William Niall McMullan,[1] 1 August 1967 in Bangor) is an author, conservationist and naturalist from Northern Ireland, who has made innovative books on neotropical wildlife.

Early life

McMullan studied at Our Lady and St. Patrick's College, Ulster University and Trinity College, Dublin.[2] He worked as a prize-winning landscape and portrait painter in his early years.[3][4] He qualified as an editor and worked for several years writing academic texts before concentrating in the wildlife field guides that he has made since 2008.[5][4][6]

Career as an Author

McMullan has specialised in making nature guidebooks for the most diverse countries of tropical South American countries[3] including Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, where he has also worked as a naturalist guide, birding tourguide and author.[7] His influential guide to the birds of Colombia was named second best bird book of 2010,[8] second only to the acclaimed Collins Birds of Europe,[9] and Neotropical Bird Club named his guides among the 25 best books of the past 25 years,[10] noting their concise treatment of very large avifaunas.

His Colombia book, with over 5000 illustrations and 2000 range distribution maps has been described as among the largest books ever made by a single author/illustrator.[11] His books marked a divergence from the style used in previous national guidebooks.[8][12][7]

Titles

His titles include Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia (with Thomas Donegan)[13][6][14][15][5] (2010, updates in 2014 and 2018), Fieldbook of the Birds of Ecuador (with Lelis Navarrete)[16] (2013, updated 2017), Field Guide to the Hummingbirds[17] (2016), Field Guide to the Galapagos Islands[18] (2017), Birds of the Colombian Andes[19] (2019), Birds of Meta and the Colombian Llanos[20] (2019), Birds of the Western Cordillera[21] (2019), Birds and Common Mammals of Ecuadorian Amazon (with Andrés Vásquez)[22] (2012), Birds of Northwest Ecuador (with Andrés Vásquez)[23] and many other titles such as regional and reserve guides. He has published many smaller guidebooks and has spoken of the importance of smaller local guidebooks and pamphlets in developing a strong rural economy that supports conservation and ecology.[24]

Additionally, he has been author or co-author of several research papers, magazine and journal articles.[25][26] His illustrations have appeared in several other books, articles, publications, including forming part of the natural history collection of the Luis Angel Arango Library of the National Bank of Colombia.[27][28][1]

Conservation and Other Work

McMullan has worked with a number of conservation organizations and foundations, especially in bird conservation in the tropical Americas.[29][7][30] He is a devoted environmentalist and advocate of low-impact wildlife-watching - he has spoken in favor of more local birding as a more sustainable alternative, and voiced concerns about the impacts of the travel involved in global birding.[4][24][31] He is involved with indigenous communities such as the Awá of southwestern Colombia and the conservation of their lands[4] and is an active campaigner and donor in the battle to combat climate change.[24]

In August 2022 he received a special recognition of his work with women's groups in rural Colombia from the Ministry of Science of Colombia.[32]

He is a regular speaker at birding and conservation fairs and conferences,[33][34][35] occasional exhibitor of his paintings[36] and has appeared on television programs broadcast in UK, Spain,[37] Australia and Colombia, where programs have been made exclusively about his work.[31][38][39]

He currently lives in Pasto, Colombia.[2]

Books by Miles McMullan

  • Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia (2010, 2014, 2018)[13][11]
  • Guia de Campo de Las Aves de Colombia (2011, 2021)[40][41]
  • Fieldbook of the Birds of Ecuador (2013, 2017)[16]
  • Field Guide to the Hummingbirds (2016)[17]
  • Field Guide to the Galapagos Islands (2017)[18]
  • Birds of the Colombian Andes (2019)[19]
  • Birds of Meta and the Colombian Llanos (2019)[20]
  • Birds of the Western Cordillera (2019)[21]
  • Birds and Common Mammals of Ecuadorian Amazon (2012)[22]
  • Birds of Northwest Ecuador (2009)[23]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes William Niall Mc Mullan". https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/biblioteca_virtual_del_banco_de_la_republica/obras/autor/mc-mullan-william-niall-83445. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Congreso Aviturismo (October 5, 2018). "9o Congreso de Aviturismo". https://www.avescaldas.com/speaker/miles-mcmullan/. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Lara, Brian (April 2, 2018). "El aviario ilustrado de Miles McMullan". https://www.bacanika.com/seccion-historias/miles-mcmullan-aves.html. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Betancourt, David (August 2, 2020). "Miles McMullan Interview". https://www.facebook.com/palsurp/videos/641239423498060/UzpfSTEwMDAwNTYwMzU2MTgzOTozMDYwNjExMjk0OTk0MTQ6MTA6MDoxNTk4OTQzNTk5OjUxNDY5OTYwMjY3MjM1NjkwOA/. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Silva, Javier (October 15, 2011). "El irlandes que pinto todas las aves". https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-4897976. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 McMullan, Miles (2018). Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Rey Naranjo Editores. ISBN 978-958-8969-77-0. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Emblin, Richard (February 3, 2013). "The Illustrator of Birds". https://thecitypaperbogota.com/features/the-illustrator-of-birds/1791. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 The Hoopoe (December 31, 2010). "Books of the year 2010". https://blog.nhbs.com/nhbs-collections/book-collections/nhbs-books-of-the-year-2010/. 
  9. Svensson, Lars (1999). Collins bird guide. Zetterström, Dan., Mullarney, Killian., Grant, P. J. (Peter James), 1943-. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-219728-6. OCLC 40754502. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40754502. 
  10. Jeffers, Raymond (June 6, 2020). "The 25 best Neotropical Bird Books from the last 25 years". https://www.neotropicalbirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NB25-F3-Jeffers.pdf. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 McMullan. "Nueva guia de aves para Colombia". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otnaMiZj7oE. 
  12. McMullan, Miles (13 December 2017). "Why Colombia needs a new bird book". Colombia Reports. https://colombiareports.com/why-colombia-needs-a-new-bird-book/. 
  13. 13.0 13.1 McMullan, Miles (16 October 2023). Field guide to the birds of Colombia. Donegan, Thomas M., Bartels, Avery, Ellery, Trevor.. [Bogotá, Colombia]. ISBN 978-958-8969-77-0. OCLC 1132871148. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1132871148. 
  14. Harindranath, Arjun (May 17, 2018). "Bird Life". https://thebogotapost.com/bird-life-miles-mcmullans-field-guide-to-the-birds-of-colombia/29805/. 
  15. Gutierrez, Ana (December 19, 2017). "Una nueva manera de conocer las aves de Colombia". https://www.revistaarcadia.com/libros/articulo/aves-colombianas-en-una-nueva-guia-de-irlandes-miles-mcmullan/67535/. 
  16. 16.0 16.1 McMullan, Navarrete, Miles (2013). Fieldbook of the Birds of Ecuador. Quito, Ecuador: Jocotoco. ISBN 978-0982-76-153-3. 
  17. 17.0 17.1 McMullan, Ellery, Miles (2016). Field Guide to the Hummingbirds. Quito: Ratty Ediciones. ISBN 978-9942-14-392-1. 
  18. 18.0 18.1 McMullan, Navarrete, Miles (2017). Field Guide to the Galapagos Islands. Quito, Ecuador: Ratty Ediciones. ISBN 978-9942-28-429-7. 
  19. 19.0 19.1 McMullan, Miles (2019). Birds of the Colombian Andes. Cali, Colombia: McMullan Birding. ISBN 978-958-48-8447-3. 
  20. 20.0 20.1 McMullan, Miles (2019). Birds of Meta and the Colombian Llanos. Cali, Colombia: McMullan Birding. ISBN 978-958-48-7887-8. 
  21. 21.0 21.1 McMullan, Miles (2019). Birds of the Western Cordillera. Cali, Colombia: McMullan Birding. ISBN 978-958-48-7615-7. 
  22. 22.0 22.1 McMullan and Vasquez (2012). Birds and Common Mammals of Ecuadorian Amazon. Quito, Ecuador: Spot Fieldbooks. ISBN 978-9942-02-411-4. 
  23. 23.0 23.1 McMullan and Vasquez (2009). Birds of Northwest Ecuador. Quito, Ecuador: Spot Fieldbooks. ISBN 978-9942-02-694-1. 
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 McMullan, Miles (September 23, 2020). "Climate week Colombia 2020". https://www.facebook.com/vbohorquez3/posts/10158646460030505. 
  25. Researchgate (December 1, 2013). "Scientific Contributions by W. Miles McMullan". https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/2043720995_W_Miles_McMullan. 
  26. Researchgate (February 3, 2016). "Scientific Contributions by Miles McMullan". https://www.researchgate.net/search?q=miles%20mcmullan. 
  27. Peña, Pantoja (2016). Aves de las Sabanas de Casanare. Bogotá, Colombia: Planeta, CEPSA. ISBN 9789584256812. 
  28. "Banco de La Republica Cultural". https://babel.banrepcultural.org/digital/collection/p17054coll21. 
  29. "Sobre Nosotros" (in es). https://mindocloudforest.org/es/sobre-nosotros/. 
  30. "Guia de las Aves de Colombia". September 5, 2014. https://proaves.org/guia-de-las-aves-de-colombia-2da-edicion/. 
  31. 31.0 31.1 Los Informantes (May 21, 2018). "Pajaros Volando - Miles McMullan". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AopNTudnEi4. 
  32. "Miles McMullan". https://www.facebook.com/miles.mcmullan.3/posts/pfbid06gV6ruMRfFWghS55Nz2rhcKb7C7UPwR8FB1gcUYiWQtrF2aRKoqynszS6ncsYYrFl. 
  33. "Miles McMullan congresista". March 6, 2018. https://www.avescaldas.com/speaker/miles-mcmullan/. 
  34. Neira, Laura (February 13, 2019). "La Agenda del Feria Internacional de Aves incluye Charla de Miles McMullan". La Republica. https://www.larepublica.co/ocio/la-agenda-del-feria-internacional-de-aves-en-cali-incluye-charla-de-miles-mcmullan-2827170. 
  35. Cali (August 31, 2018). "Festival "Oiga, Mire, Lee" un espacio de Literatura, Poesia y Musica". El Tiempo. https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/cali/festival-oiga-mire-lea-un-espacio-para-los-amantes-de-las-letras-262414. 
  36. UNIVERSITY BONAVENTURIANA (October 6, 2020). "Vuelos Posibles - Miles McMullan". http://www.editorialbonaventuriana.usb.edu.co/realidad/miles/index.html. 
  37. El Pais (April 18, 2018). "Miles McMullan, Un amante del tropico". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQEZJd-JDfI. 
  38. TVOrinoquia (May 3, 2018). "Lanzamiento del Libro de Aves". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKuJcnO6_FM. 
  39. Torrado, Santiago (18 April 2018). "Miles McMullan, Un Amante del Tropico". El Pais. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQEZJd-JDfI. 
  40. McMullan Quevedo y Donegan (2011). Guia de Campo de las Aves de Colombia. Bogota, Colombia. 
  41. McMullan, Miles (2021). Guía de Campo de las Aves de Colombia. Bogota Colomba: McMullan Birding. ISBN 9789584910325.