Peter Ryan is Director of the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. He is a keen bird photographer and has travelled widely in pursuit of birds. He is also the author and co-author of several books on birds and on Subantarctic Islands. Prof. Peter Ryan was awarded A-rating scientist status by the National Research Foundation in December 2016. This is the highest accolade in the NRF's rating system to rank researchers in the country. An A-rating implies an international leader in the field. The FitzPatrick Institute has never boasted an A-rated Director before and Peter is also the first A-rated ornithologist in South Africa.