Malcolm Coulter earned an MSc in 1973 from Oxford University and a PhD in 1977 from the University of Pennsylvania. He carried out early research on the Farallon Islands, California, on western gulls, storm petrels, and other birds as well as on the plants (population studies and control of invasives). Malcolm moved to the Darwin Research Center, Galapagos, Ecuador, where he established a long-term conservation effort for the dark-rumped petrel. As Resident Ornithologist, he studied blue-footed boobies, flamingos, flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins. Malcolm continues his involvement on the Farallon Islands and in the Galapagos.

In 1984, he was invited to direct the American Wood Stork program at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. He directed this program for 10 years and became increasingly involved with the international conservation of storks, ibises and spoonbills. In 1989, he assumed co-chair of the SSC Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills Specialist Group and has concentrated his efforts on international conservation of these birds, working throughout the world but concentrating efforts in Asia. Species of great concern include the black-faced spoonbill, oriental white stork and oriental crested ibis.

Malcolm is an elective member of the American Ornithologists’ Union and has received awards from the Pacific Seabird Group, SAVE International, Waterbird Conservation for the Americas, and the Waterbird Society.