Somers G. Headley (1911–1997) spent his childhood on a small island off the coast of New Jersey, where his father directed the local Coast Guard Station. He became a hunter of shorebirds at a very young age and was one of few collectors who could discuss them from personal experience.

Retired in 1971 after thirty-seven years with the DuPont Company, Headley spent most of his free time studying and collecting decoys and hunting. His extensive decoy collection has been enjoyed by most of the serious collectors in the country. He is the author of Shorebirds: The Birds, the Hunters, the Decoys.