Charles Lucien Bonaparte, the 2nd Prince of Canino and Musignano, significantly shaped 19th-century ornithology through extensive field research and methodical classification. Born in 1803, the nephew of Napoleon I bridged scientific observation and academic structures, authoring foundational texts while maintaining a secondary career as a political figure during the turbulent mid-1800s in France and Italy.
Early Research in the United States
After marrying his cousin Zénaïde in 1822, Bonaparte moved to the United States to reside at his uncle Joseph Bonaparte’s estate in Bordentown, New Jersey. During this American period, he revised Alexander Wilson's Ornithology or History of the Birds of the United States, published between 1825 and 1833. He sought to integrate new figures like John James Audubon into the Academy of Natural Sciences, despite resistance from contemporaries such as George Ord.
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Returning to Europe in 1826, Bonaparte settled in Rome by 1828. He produced the multi-volume Iconografia della Fauna Italica between 1832 and 1841. His taxonomic rigor remained constant, credited with naming 165 genera and 203 species. He pioneered scientific congresses across Italy, fostering collaboration between researchers before moving back to Paris in 1850, where he served as director of the Jardin des Plantes.
Political Engagement and Exile
Bonaparte entered politics in 1848, aligning with the anti-Austrian party. In 1849, he was elected to the Roman Assembly and championed the short-lived Roman Republic. Following the defeat of the Republican army by French troops, he faced temporary exile from France by order of Louis Napoleon. He eventually returned to Paris, continuing his classification work and publishing his Conspectus Generum Avium before his death in 1857.
Fast facts
- Born: 1803, Paris, France
- Died: 1857, Paris, France
- Occupations: Naturalist, zoologist, politician, ornithologist
- Notable work: Iconografia della Fauna Italica
- Burial site: Chapelle Impériale, Ajaccio
- Awards: Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Academic memberships: Russian Academy of Sciences, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Family: Married to Zénaïde Bonaparte, twelve children
Questions readers ask
What was Bonaparte's primary scientific legacy?
He is credited with describing hundreds of bird genera and species, including Orsini's viper, and publishing essential classification works such as the Conspectus Generum Avium.
Did he balance his political activities with his research?
Yes. Even during his time in the Roman Assembly and his active support of the Roman Republic, he continued to organize scientific congresses and pursue his ornithological studies.
Achievements
- Fields of research: ornithology
