Kenneth Edwin Laurence Ryder Simmons (29 March 1929[1] – 25 February 2002[1]) was a respected[2] British ornithologist[1] born in Kenton, Middlesex.
During a period of National Service from 1948-50 Simmons was posted to the Suez Canal Zone, Egypt where his observations of birds provided material for later published work.
He became particularly interested in the taxonomic implications of certain simple behaviour patterns and in bird taxonomy generally and was listed in the 1961 Directory of Zoological Taxonomists.
In 1967 he was awarded an MSc for his Ascension Island booby studies and in 1970 a PhD for work on the great crested grebe.
He also spent time writing papers and books and biographical study of Edmund Selous.