Phoebe Snetsinger
| Phoebe Snetsinger | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Phoebe Geddes Burnett June 9, 1931 Lake Zurich, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | November 23, 1999 (aged 68) Madagascar |
| Cause of death | Road traffic accident |
| Residence | Webster Groves, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Swarthmore College |
| Known for | Birding |
| Notable work | Birding on Borrowed Time |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Leo Burnett (father) queNaomi Geddes (mother) |
Phoebe Snetsinger, née Burnett (June 9, 1931 – November 23, 1999), was an American birder famous for having seen and documented birds of 8,398 different species, at the time, more than anyone else in history and the first person to see more than 8,000. Her memoir, Birding on Borrowed Time, explores this achievement. She traveled the world multiple times to find birds in their habitats.
After receiving a melanoma diagnosis at age 50, she took birding up more avidly, becoming known as a sharp observer who kept detailed notes. She was described as having had an excellent memory, and a strong competitive spirit. Her multiple expeditions around the world occasionally proved to be quite dangerous. Initially driven to join the competition of seeing the most birds by the prognosis that her disease was fatal, she died in a vehicle accident while birding in Madagascar about 18 years after the diagnosis.
Phoebe Burnett was born on June 9, 1931, to Naomi Geddes and Leo N. Burnett and was raised in Lake Zurich, Illinois. She attended a small elementary school in Lake Zurich with only two other students.
At the age of 11, she met her future husband, David Snetsinger (who was 13), at a 4-H club. She went on to study at Swarthmore College and graduated as a German major. After her husband's military service in Korea, they both went on to study for a master's degree, in which she obtained a masters in German literature.
Her father was Leo Burnett, a legend in the advertising industry, from whom she inherited many of the traits that led to his success in business and a considerable fortune after his death in 1971. These funds aided in paying for numerous trips in pursuit of her later life hobby.
Snetsinger was inspired to begin birding after seeing a Blackburnian warbler in 1961. Her first bird watching trip was in 1965 in Minnesota with a friend. She became locally known as a successful birder in the 1970s. Snetsinger was spurred to find the most birds after her doctor diagnosed her with terminal melanoma in 1981, the year she turned 50 years old. Instead of convalescence at home or pursuing treatments, she took a trip to Alaska to watch birds, and returned home to find the cancer in remission. The cancer went into remission about five years at a time, then would recur. She sought surgical treatment for one recurrence.
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