Bird Collections

The ornithology collection includes nearly 20,000 specimen records, and is one of the largest in the Intermountain West. Nearly 600 species belonging to 75 families in 21 orders are represented. The collection's prinicipal growth was achieved through the work of William Behle and his students on the birds of Utah and surrounding states. There also are substantial specimen holdings from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the South Pacific region. Records from the egg collection date back to the 1870s provide some of the earliest information on breeding habits of birds from the Intermountain region.  Research of adjunct curators Jack Broughton (Anthropology) and Dale Clayton (Biology) have added several hundered specimens, including a growing collection of bird skeletons.

Bird Collection Network (ORNIS)-Database Portal for Avian Specimen Records

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