Pamela Rasmussen is a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at MSU and is also a prominent ornithologist and researcher most famously known for the description of 10 species of birds. Rasmussen is tied for the third highest number of bird descriptions by one person in the last 50 years.

The description of an animal refers to a process where an animal or species has been seen or heard of, but there is a very incomplete set of information and data regarding that species which then prompts researchers to go out in the field and fulfill the data to properly describe that species.

The Oregon native has had a strong love for birds since her childhood.

“My mom gave me a bird book as a kid and I was just instantly riveted by the pictures,” Rasmussen said. “At that time there wasn’t very many bird books or photos of birds, and I was just captivated by them ... so for a while that’s all I wanted to do, was look at all the different birds.”

Rasmussen’s first description of a bird species came in 1998. Since she has continued traveling the world, researching birds in distant countries and unheard of islands to trek deep into the jungles and gather information.

Her most recent adventure, during winter break, took her to the remote area called the Obi Islands, located in the province of Indonesia known as North Maluku, which is rarely visited by foreigners and has only been the research site of two known ornithologist groups in the past decade.

“We saw two bird species that had not been recorded in the area ever before and saw three birds that are sub-species and have not been described to science before,” Rasmussen said.

According to a press release sent out by MSU Today, the species were discovered in India and China, in the forests of the Himalayan mountains.

Rasmussen was a lead member of the team that discovered the newly-named Himalayan forest thrush Zoothera salimalii, which was previously thought to be the same as the Zoothera mollissima, but was found to be a separate species when the scientists noticed a distinctive difference in the bird calling sounds the two species were making.

Rasmussen said there are about five new bird species discovered or described each year. Going forward Rasmussen said she hopes to be a part of these discoveries.

“There was a time when I started to get into mammalogy, or got interested in a few other things, but I always came back to birds,” Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen has pushed her passion and drive upon students at MSU.

Zoology junior Tasha Christensen, a student research assistant, has worked under Rasmussen for the past year.

“Anyone would idolize Dr. Rasmussen for her outstanding success in her field,” she said. “Being a zoologist, I could only hope to one day be as successful in a career I love, and she inspires me to pursue such a career.”

Christensen said she looks up to Rasmussen as a mentor and guide to being successful in such a unique career field.

“Her dedication and success is a direct reflection of her work ethic,” she said. “She is willing to take a hike through the forest in the middle of the night to get the recordings she is looking for. As far as her personality, she is very humble, kind and honest.”