# Nikolaas Tinbergen

_Dutch Zoologist, ethologist (1907-1988)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/nikolaas-tinbergen
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Nikolaas "Niko" Tinbergen ( TIN-bur-gən, Dutch: [ˈnikoː(laːs) ˈtɪmbɛrɣə(n)]; 15 April 1907 – 21 December 1988) was a Dutch biologist and ornithologist who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Karl von Frisch and Konrad Lorenz for their discoveries concerning the organization and elicitation of individual and social behavior patterns in animals. He is regarded as one of the founders of ethology, the study of animal behaviour, and an important figure in the development of that discipline into its contemporary form, behavioral ecology.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 15 April 1907 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P569))
- **Place of birth:** The Hague ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P19))
- **Died:** 21 December 1988 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P570))
- **Place of death:** Oxford ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Kingdom of the Netherlands; United Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P27))
- **Occupation:** biologist; zoologist; ornithologist; ethologist; university teacher; photographer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P106))
- **Education:** Leiden University; Stedelijk Gymnasium Haarlem ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P69))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Fellow of the Royal Society; APA Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Psychology; Godman-Salvin Medal; Croonian Medal and Lecture; honorary doctor of the University of Leicester; Elliott Coues Award; Swammerdam Medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890#P166))

## About

In 1951, he published The Study of Instinct, an influential book on animal behaviour.

In the 1960s, he collaborated with filmmaker Hugh Falkus on a series of wildlife films, including The Riddle of the Rook (1972) and Signals for Survival (1969), which won the Italia prize in that year and the American blue ribbon in 1971.

## Questions

**When was Nikolaas Tinbergen born?**  
Nikolaas Tinbergen was born on 15 April 1907 in The Hague.

**Where did Nikolaas Tinbergen study?**  
Nikolaas Tinbergen was educated at Leiden University, Stedelijk Gymnasium Haarlem.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaas_Tinbergen) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q153890](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153890) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Nikolaas Tinbergen 1978.jpg by Lorenz_and_Tinbergen2.jpg : Max Planck Gesellschaft derivative work: Materialscientist (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nikolaas_Tinbergen_1978.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Nikolaas Tinbergen, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Nikolaas Tinbergen 1978.jpg — Lorenz_and_Tinbergen2.jpg : Max Planck Gesellschaft derivative work: Materialscientist, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Nikolaas Tinbergen". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/nikolaas-tinbergen. Retrieved 6 November 2026.