Michel Louette (Sint-Truiden, 1948) was from 1974 till 2013 zoologist and eventually Head of Department at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, now AfricaMuseum, Tervuren, Belgium.
He is Licentiate Zoology, Ghent University, Doctor Sciences (Zoology), Antwerp University and holds an Equivalency to University Teaching Qualification, Grand Jury of the Belgian Federal Ministry of Science.
He was a Fulbright/Hays, USA fellow in 1982, Visiting Lecturer, Ghent University, and Visiting Professor Sacramento State University, USA & Université de Lubumbashi, DR Congo. He supervised 14 doctorate students and 10 research projects (mainly African students).
He participated in 20 scientific expeditions to Africa (Morocco, Cameroon, Liberia, Comoros, DR Congo). He described 5 new species of bird (and additionally 3 new subspecies of bird), made a catalog of type specimens in the Royal Museum for Central Africa, and wrote 7 books and several chapters in “Handbook of the Birds of the World” and “The Birds of Africa”, plus over two hundred peer reviewed publications, mostly on African Ornithology, and many others. He is associate editor of the African Journal of Ornithology “Ostrich” since 1994. He is member of the International Ornithological Union and was very active and promoting Africans in the Pan African Ornithological Congress (Member Steering Committee 1985-2000, Chairman Steering Committee 1992-1996, Congress Chairman 1992 of the 8th PAOC in Burundi).
He is Member of the Belgian Scientific Committee CITES.
His scientific expertise is focused on Ornithology, Biodiversity, Taxonomy, Ecomorphology, and Nature Conservation & Durable Development.
He is an honorary fellow member of the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences.
Key publications
Louette, M. (2006). Family Platysteiridae (Batises and Wattle-eyes). Handbook of the Birds of the World. 11: 164-199
Louette, M. 2006 (2007). Data Mining of the Zoological Collections in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Tervuren, for Study and Conservation in the Albertine Rift International Conference Africa’s Great Rift: Diversity and Unity Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences Royal Museum for Central Africa Brussels, 29-30 September, 2005 pp. 73-81.
Louette, M., Abderemane H., Yahaya I., & D. Meirte, with the assistance of Cael G., Doulton H., Marsh C., Meganck B. & D. Monticelli (Eds). (2008). Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs de la Grande Comore, de Mohéli et d ‘Anjouan. Studies in Afrotropical Zoology. 294. 240 pp.
Louette, M., Meirte, D., Louage, A., & Reygel, A. (2010). Type specimens of birds in the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren. Zool. Doc. Online Series (R. Mus. Centr. Afr.). 343 pp.
Breman F.C., Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Nagy, Z.T., Van Houdt, J., & Louette, M. (2013). DNA barcoding and evolutionary relationships in Accipiter Brisson, 1760 (Aves, Falconiformes: Accipitridae), with a focus on African and Eurasian representatives. J. Orn. 154: 265-287.