Johann Reinhold F

Naturalist and clergyman, born in Tczew, N Poland (formerly Dirschau, Germany). He studied theology at Halle, and undertook a survey of new German colonies on the Volga, in SW Russia. He taught at the Dissenter's Academy in Warrington, Cheshire. (1766–9), and accompanied Cook as naturalist on his second world voyage on the Resolution (1772–5). A pioneer ornithologist of Antarctica, New Zealand, and the Pacific, he wrote Observations Made During a Voyage Around the World (1778). In 1780 he was appointed professor of natural history at Halle. Förster's tern is named after him.

Johann Reinhold Forster (October 22, 1729 - December 9, 1798) was a German naturalist of partial Scottish descent.

Forster made contributions to the early ornithology of Europe and North America. He is best known as the naturalist on James Cook's second Pacific voyage, when he was accompanied by his son Georg Forster.

Johann Reinhold Forster's family originates in the Lords Forrester in Scotland from where his great-grandfather had emigrated after losing most of his property during the rule of Oliver Cromwell along with many other Scots. Forster himself was born in the city of Dirschau, Prussia, now (Polish: Tczew), twenty miles south of Danzig (Polish: Gdańsk). When Joseph Banks withdrew at the last moment as naturalist on Cook's second voyage, Forster and his son were appointed to fill the vacant position.

Both the Forsters kept detailed diaries of everything they saw on the voyage, and made extensive collections of both natural history specimens and artefacts. On his return Forster published Observations Made during a Voyage round the World (1778). During the next few years Forster undertook a variety of writing work, including a German translation of Thomas Pennant's Arctic Zoology.

In November 1779 Forster was appointed Professor of Natural History and Mineralogy at the University of Halle, where he remained until his death.

Forster's Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (1772–73) on zoology, ornithology, and ichthyology established him as one of the earliest authorities on North American zoology.