Niko Tinbergen

Biology Dutch 1907 – 1988 99 quotes

Nobel laureate in ethology who outlined four questions for animal behavior.

Quotes by Niko Tinbergen

On my deathbed, I hope to recall the first goose that followed me home.

Last Words 1988

Ethology proves that mind and body are inseparable in beasts and men.

Nobel Lecture 1973

A joke among ethologists: Why did the bird cross the road? Innate releasing mechanism!

Dinner Speech 1975

Personal growth comes from studying the wild within animals.

Retirement Reflection 1980

The development of behavior is a lifelong ontogeny.

The Study of Instinct 1951

In interviews, I always emphasized the beauty of behavioral ecology.

BBC Interview 1960

Politics of science? It's the fight for funding to watch birds dance.

Colleague Letter 1970

Wisdom from the nest: Patience reveals the hidden rhythms of life.

Curious Naturalists 1955

Comeback to critics: My fish fight better than your theories.

Debate 1952

The causation of instinct is a chain from stimulus to response.

On Aims and Methods 1963

In old age, I reflected on how behavior unites all living things.

Personal Essay 1985

Aphorism: Instincts are nature's poetry, written in action.

Nobel Lecture 1973

From my Dutch roots: Even canals have behavioral flows.

Early Letter 1930

Key insight: Function explains why behaviors persist through time.

Paper 1963

Speech at award: Honored to decode the language of animals.

Frink Medal Speech 1972

Life's profound lesson: We are all ethologists of our own instincts.

Interview 1980

Witty remark: Lorenz and I? We hatched ideas together.

Memoir 1965

Observation: The honeybee's waggle dance is choreography for survival.

The Study of Instinct 1951

Final reflection: In behavior, I found the soul of science.

Last Interview 1988