Adrian Koopman is an Emeritus Professor of Zulu at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His research interests during his academic career have been primarily in onomastics, and he is the author of the 2002 Zulu Names (which includes a chapter on Zulu bird names), the 2015 Zulu Plant Names, and the 2019 Zulu Bird Names and Bird Lore, published by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press. His over 65 articles and chapters in academic journals and books include the 1990 “Ornimatopoeia: Song reference in English, Afrikaans and Zulu bird names”.

Roger Porter has had a life-long interest in birds and has travelled extensively on bird trips in Africa, Madagascar, India and Antarctica. He has been a wildlife ecologist and conservation planner for nearly 39 years in the Natal Parks Board and KZN Wildlife. He produced the nomination dossiers for the UNESCO World Heritage inscription of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Mountains, and has been intimately involved in certain African World Heritage listings.

Noleen Turner retired after 32 years’ service from the African Languages Department at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. She is currently an Honorary Research Professor at the same institution. Her areas of research include second language (Zulu) teaching, Zulu oral studies, onomastics and humour studies. She has published over 40 accredited articles in local and overseas journals. A keen birder, she is the original motivator of the Zulu Bird Names Project described in this book.