Spencer Fullerton Baird (/ˈbɛərd/; February 3, 1823 – August 19, 1887) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, herpetologist, and museum curator.

He was dedicated to expanding the natural history collections of the Smithsonian which he increased from 6,000 specimens in 1850 to over 2 million by the time of his death.

[3] His mother was a member of the prominent Philadelphia Biddle family; he was a nephew of Speaker of the Pennsylvania Senate Charles B. Penrose and a first cousin, once removed, of U.S.

He became a self-trained naturalist as a young man, learning about the field from his brother, William, who was a birder,[2] and the likes of John James Audubon, who instructed Baird on how to draw scientific illustrations of birds.

[5] As a young boy he attended Nottingham Academy in Port Deposit, Maryland and public school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

[1][3] After graduation he moved to New York City with an interest in studying medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

[6] He was awarded a grant, in 1848, from the Smithsonian Institution to explore bone caves and the natural history of southeastern Pennsylvania.

[4] In 1850, Baird became the first curator at the Smithsonian Institution[1] and the Permanent Secretary for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the latter which he served for three years.

Baird created a museum program for the Smithsonian, requesting that the organization focus on natural history in the United States.

[1] He asked that members of the Army and Navy collect rare animals and plant specimens from west of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

[1] Between his start as Assistant Secretary and 1855, he worked with Joseph Henry to provide scientific equipment and needs to the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey.

[22] He was highly active in developing fishing and fishery policies for the United States, and was instrumental in making Woods Hole the research venue it is today.

[1] He was the primary writer of A History of North American Birds, which was published in 1874 and continues to be an important publication in ornithology today.

[1] Baird was allowed to live, rent free, in the Smithsonian Institution Building, but declined and had the east wing converted into workspace.

[1] In September 1883, he was unanimously declared a founding member of the American Ornithologists' Union even though his duties prevented him from attending their first convention.

[31][32] Baird's sparrow, a migratory bird native to Canada, Mexico and the United States, is named after him.