Birds (Aves) collection

The bird collection contains 342 species, of which 324 were collected in Croatia. Among the birds in the collection, passerines (Passeriformes) are the most represented, accounting for 44% of all collected birds, followed by falcons and related birds (Falconiformes) with 14%, and shorebirds (Charadriiformes) with 12%. Among the species housed in the Croatian Natural History Museum, 18 species have an unsatisfactory conservation status on a global level.

The birds were collected over a span of 150 years, from 1855 to 2005. The oldest specimen in the catalogue is the Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), collected on 30 May 1855, originating from Ettinger’s private collection, although unfortunately it has not been preserved. The oldest preserved specimen is the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) from 1867. The stored birds were collected by more than 1,200 collectors.

Collection Curator: Irena Grbac