Margaret Morse Nice

Margaret Morse Nice, born on December sixth, eighteen eighty-three, was a pioneering American ornithologist, ethologist, and child psychologist. Her most notable work includes an extensive study of the life history of the song sparrow, culminating in her influential publication, Studies in the Life History of the Song Sparrow, released in nineteen thirty-seven.

In her groundbreaking research, Nice observed and documented social hierarchies in chickens, a concept that predated the term 'pecking order' coined by Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe by nearly three decades. This early work in ethology showcased her keen observational skills and her ability to understand complex animal behaviors.

After her marriage, Nice shifted her focus to the realm of child psychology, where she conducted observations on language acquisition in her own children. This transition led to the publication of numerous research papers, further establishing her as a versatile scholar in both ornithology and psychology.