William Wood

William Wood (July 7, 1822 – August 9, 1885) was an American physician and naturalist, best remembered as an expert on the avifauna of Connecticut.

Education and career Wood was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on July 7, 1822, to Rev. Luke Wood (1777–1851) and Anna (Pease) Wood (1780–1859). He was one of eleven children. In the following years, Wood took courses at the Berkshire Medical College and graduated from the University Medical College of New York in 1847.

After medical school, Wood moved back to East Windsor Hill, where he lived for the remainder of his life. Wood was a practicing physician in the Windsor area for almost four decades He founded the Hartford County North Medical Association, was secretary of the Hartford Medical Society, and was a member of the Connecticut Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Wood published on medical treatments.

Natural history Wood was an active field ornithologist and a "leading authority" on New England birds. Wood specialized in raptor research and made numerous contributions in this area, including more accurately describing the ranges and clutch sizes of several species.

Wood acquired a significant collection of bird specimens and eggs from the United States and abroad,

In addition, Wood wrote about the fish of New England and was an active botanist, sending specimens to several research institutions.

Wood was a member of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, the Lyceum of Natural History at Williams College, and the Essex Institute.

Other activities Wood had an interest in archaeology, collecting Native American artifacts in South Windsor. In 1887, the Connecticut General Assembly ordered that it be preserved in the State Archives (under "A Resolution providing for a Tablet to the Memory of John Fitch of Windsor"). Wood was a member of the First Congregational Church. They had two children, Elizabeth Ellsworth (Wood) Sperry and William Russell Wood.

Death and legacy Wood died in East Windsor Hill on August 9, 1885, after an illness lasting three days. Wood's specimens moved to Trinity College on loan from the Wadsworth in 1946. The University of Connecticut now holds Wood's collection.

Merriam referenced Wood's correspondence and specimens extensively in A Review of the Birds of Connecticut (1877).

The Smithsonian holds Wood's collection of Native American artifacts.

The Wood Memorial Library, South Windsor's public library from 1927 to 1968, was dedicated to Dr. William Wood and Mary Ellsworth Wood. It is now an independent research library and museum, which includes natural history collections in Dr. Wood's honor.