Roxie Collie Laybourne
Roxie Collie Simpson Laybourne was an American ornithologist born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Her forensic techniques for identifying species of birds involved in bird strikes led to aircraft safety improvements.Education and career
Laybourne earned her B.A. from Meredith College in 1932 and her M.S. in plant ecology from George Washington University in 1951. She worked for the North Carolina State Museum of Natural History in its taxidermy and exhibit departments in 1932, the National Fisheries Laboratory, the United States National Museum from 1944 to 1946, and the Bird and Mammal Laboratories of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1946 to 1974 before retiring and joining the National Museum of Natural History as a research associate.
During her career, Laybourne developed "the speciality of identifying dead birds from their feathers to learn what types of birds struck planes." This information was instrumental in safety improvements within the manufacturing of aircraft engines, the development of military fighter canopies, and the creation of runway management plans. Laybourne's skills in forensic ornithology helped solve around 1,000 cases of bird-related airplane incidents a year.
In addition to her employers, Laybourne's expertise aided the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, General Electric, the National Transportation Safety Board, Pratt and Whitney, and Rolls-Royce. Her work was recognized by the Air Force Bird Strike Committee in 1966 with its lifetime achievement award.
