Melanie Colón

With their curious feeding behaviour, peculiar elongated body, gregarious social lives and exotic pink plumage, flamingos are among the most familiar and popular of all the world's birds. They have inspired artists, poets and amateur naturalists for centuries, but until 50 years ago very little was known about their biology. A growing number of scientists have directed their attention to these magnificent birds over recent years; this book summarises current understanding of flamingo biology, with detailed discussion of population dynamics, ecology, movements, feeding, breeding biology and conservation, with emphasis placed on the authors' work on the famous population of Greater Flamingos in the Camargue region of southern France. There is also a detailed guide to breeding areas, and an outline of future challenges for research. Alan Johnson was director of the Flamingo Specialist Group from 1978 to 2004. Frank Cezilly is Professor of Ecology at the University of Bourgogne,France. He was involved in thedevelopment of the Camargue Flamingo conservation project, co-authoring several publicationswith Alan Johnson.

Reprint of the 1975 original book. An international gathering of scientists from a variety of disciplines met at The Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, from 10-12 July 1973, to report on the world situation, in the wild and in captivity, of the six types of flamingos. The occasion was the International Flamingo Symposium, called to discuss problems encountered in flamingo conservation and research, and participants came from North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Flamingos' thirty-nine chapters derive from papers delivered at the Symposium. They form four sections: Populations, Ecology and Conservation; Flamingos in captivity; Ethology and Taxonomy; Flamingo Physiology - in addition there are appendices of biological and other information, a comprehensive bibliography,and an Introduction by Sir Peter Scott. Flamingos, one of the oldest bird groups alive today, are also among the most popular and common of zoo animals, and part of the book is concerned with the problems of .breeding and rearing the birds in captivity, and the stress and disease to which they can be prone. One of the aims of the Symposium and of the book is to disseminate the knowledge that will help improve captive conditions.Hopefully, greater success in breeding from captive birds may ensure that fewer of those born to the wild will be deprived of their freedom. Sir Peter Scott in his Introduction believes that within ten years zoos should be breeding all the flamingos they need. Approximately half of the book is concerned with populations in the wild, with field studies and conservation, and there are reports from all but one of the major population areas. Jacket illustration by lan Willis.

This Poyser monograph looks closely at the geese of the genus Anser – the so-called grey geese, a group that mainly breeds in the high Arctic but visits lower latitudes in winter. The species include swan goose, tundra and taiga bean, pink-footed, greylag, white-fronted, lesser white-fronted, bar-headed, emperor, snow and Ross's geese. The wintering geese often form spectacular flocks, a magnet for birders in winter but a problem for agriculture. While most species are reasonably common, the grey geese include the endangered and declining lesser white-fronted goose among their number. Anser includes species that have been the focus of a variety of behavioural and life-history studies, especially of greylag feese, and of evolutionary studies, especially in snow geese. Grey Geese: The Genus Anser looks at the biology and the history of research into these geese in detail. There are detailed chapters on evolution and taxonomy, research and researchers, wildfowling, migration, feeding ecology, breeding biology, population dynamics, interactions with agriculture, and conservation, along with a colour section and illustrations throughout. Grey Geese: The Genus Anser is the definitive work on these noisy, conspicuous and familiar birds, and a must for goose-lovers everywhere.

In 1861, just a few years after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, a scientist named Hermann von Meyer made an amazing discovery. Hidden in the Bavarian region of Germany was a fossil skeleton so exquisitely preserved that its wings and feathers were as obvious as its reptilian jaws and tail. This transitional creature offered tangible proof of Darwin's theory of evolution. Hailed as the First Bird, Archaeopteryx has remained the subject of heated debates for the last 140 years. Are birds actually living dinosaurs? Where does the fossil record really lead? Did flight originate from the "ground up" or "trees down"? Pat Shipman traces the age-old human desire to soar above the earth and to understand what has come before us. Taking Wing is science as adventure story, told with all the drama by which scientific understanding unfolds.

Combining informative and accessible text, up-to-date maps, and--above all--stunning color photographs, this is the best and most lavishly illustrated photographic guide to the birds of western North America. All of the images have been carefully selected to convey both the sheer beauty and the key identification features of each bird, and many of the photos are larger than those found in other guides. Wherever possible, a variety of plumages are pictured, providing visual coverage and usefulness matching any artwork-illustrated field guide. And many of the images are state-of-the-art digital photographs by Brian Small, one of North America's finest bird photographers. These pictures, many seen here for the first time, reproduce a previously unimaginable level of detail. Finally, the ranges of nearly all species are shown on maps from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, the authority on North American birding. New and experienced birders alike will find this guide indispensable: the clear layout will help novices easily identify the birds they see, while the superb photographs will help seasoned birders confirm identifications. The best, most lavishly illustrated photographic guide to the region's birds Larger color photos than most other field guides Fresh contemporary design--clear, easy-to-use, and attractive Informative, accessible, and authoritative text Range maps from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Covers entire western half of mainland North America (excluding Mexico) and the arctic and subarctic territorial islands of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Hawaii)

Combining informative and accessible text, up-to-date maps, and--above all--stunning color photographs, this is the best and most lavishly illustrated photographic guide to the birds of eastern North America. All of the images have been carefully selected to convey both the sheer beauty and the key identification features of each bird, and many of the photos are larger than those found in other guides. Wherever possible, a variety of plumages are pictured, providing visual coverage and usefulness matching any artwork-illustrated field guide. And many of the images are state-of-the-art digital photographs by Brian Small, one of North America's finest bird photographers. These pictures, many seen here for the first time, reproduce a previously unimaginable level of detail. Finally, the ranges of nearly all species are shown on maps from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, the authority on North American birding. New and experienced birders alike will find this guide indispensable: the clear layout will help novices easily identify the birds they see, while the superb photographs will help seasoned birders confirm identifications. The best, most lavishly illustrated photographic guide to the region's birds Larger color photos than most other field guides Fresh contemporary design--clear, easy-to-use, and attractive Informative, accessible, and authoritative text Range maps from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Covers entire eastern half of mainland North America and the arctic and subarctic territorial islands of the U.S. and Canada

Fully illustrated, easy to use, and completely up-to-date, Birds of the West Indies is the only field guide that covers all of the bird species known to occur in the region--including migrants and infrequently occurring forms. Each species is represented by a full description that includes identification field marks, status and range, habitat, and voice. A map showing the bird's distribution accompanies many species accounts, and plumages of all species are depicted in ninety-three beautifully rendered color plates. Bird lovers, vacationing tourists, local residents, and "armchair travelers" will all want to own this definitive field guide to the birds of the West Indies. Includes all species recorded in the region Features ninety-three color plates with concise text on facing pages for quick reference and easy identification Species accounts cover identification, voice, status and habitat, and range Color distribution maps

On Rare Birds is an endearing compilation of the history and extinction of several bird species, along with detailed accounts of many rare birds. Award-winning writer Anita Albus combines her education in natural history with investigative reporting, transforming each bird's tale into a captivating combination of culture, mythology, science, and lyrical storytelling. Illustrated with stunning avian portraits throughout, it tells the compelling stories of ten rare or extinct bird species—from the tragic demise of the once-abundant Passenger Pigeon to the shooting death of the last Carolina Parakeet in the wild, and from the startling natural defenses of the “willful Nightjar” to the diverse cultural significance of the Kingfisher. Some stories bear sad witness to precious species we have lost, but they are all fascinating and often heartwarming or humorous depictions of the unique lives and loves of birds. With knowledge, devotion, and a true artist’s eye, Albus explains in graceful, precise prose why the decline of these bird species is a great loss both to the natural world and, unavoidably, to culture. With each species lost, a world is lost to human understanding—to our arts, our mythology, and our environment. Anita Albus is an award-winning writer and artist based in Munich and Burgundy. She is known for her detailed nature paintings as well as for her essays, stories, and writings on art history. Her books include The Art of Arts, The Botanical Drama, The Garden of Songs, and The Botanical Spectacle. Her prizes include the Medal of Honor from the Federal Republic of Germany (2001).

The Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations working together to conserve wild birds. Through the Alliance, millions of birdwatchers and concerned citizens are united with conservation professionals, scientists, and educators to benefit bird conservation efforts. Any not-for-profit organization with a focus on birds or bird conservation can join. As a member, your group can be part of crucial campaigns to reduce threats to birds, help garner vital funding for bird conservation work in the United States and Latin America, and help protect and restore key habitats for threatened and declining migrant and endemic species.

In this companion volume to Bird Coloration: Volume 1, Mechanisms and Measurements, Geoffrey E. Hill and Kevin J. McGraw have assembled some of the world's leading experts in the function and evolution of bird coloration to contribute to a long-overdue synthesis of a burgeoning field of inquiry. In Volume 2, the authors turn from the problem of how birds see and produce color and how researchers measure it, to what is the function of the colorful displays of birds and what are the factors that shape the evolution of color signals. The contributors to this volume begin by examining the function of coloration in a variety of contexts from mate choice, to social signaling, to individual recognition, synthesizing a vast amount of recent findings by researchers around the world. The volume and the series conclude with chapters that consider coloration from an explicitly evolutionary perspective, examining selective pressures that have led to the evolution of colors and patterns on body and plumage. These functional and evolutionary studies build from research on mechanisms of production and controls of expression, covered in the previous volume, bringing the study of color full circle. This sumptuously illustrated book will be essential reading for biologists studying animal coloration, but it will also be treasured by anyone curious about why birds are colorful and how they got that way.

One cannot help being struck with wonder at the vivid pink of 10,000 flamingos rising from Lake Nakuru or the glowing red gorget of a ruby-throated hummingbird feeding outside the kitchen window. How birds produce the brilliant and striking coloration of their feathers and other body parts is the focus of this first volume of Bird Coloration. It has been more than 40 years since the mechanisms of color production of birds have been reviewed and synthesized and in those 40 years new pigments have been discovered, new genetic mechanisms have been described, new theories have been developed, and hundreds of new experiments have been conducted. Geoffrey Hill and Kevin McGraw have assembled the world's leading experts in perception, measurement, and control of bird coloration to contribute to this book. This sumptuously illustrated volume synthesizes more than 1,500 technical papers in this field. The focus is on the three primary mechanisms of color production--melanin pigmentation, carotenoid pigmentation, and structural coloration--but less common as well as newly described mechanisms of color production are also reviewed in detail. The visual perception of birds and the best ways to collect and analyze color data are, for the first time, presented as part of the review of mechanisms of coloration. This book will be essential reading for biologists studying animal coloration, but it will also be treasured by anyone curious about how birds produce and perceive their bold and brilliant color displays.

Imagine a Minneapolis so small that, on calm days, the roar of St. Anthony Falls could be heard in town, a time when passenger pigeons roosted in neighborhood oak trees. Now picture a dapper professor conducting his ornithology class (the university’s first) by streetcar to Lake Harriet for a morning of bird-watching. The students were mostly young women—in sunhats, sailor tops, and long skirts, with binoculars strung around their necks. The professor was Thomas Sadler Roberts (1858–1946), a doctor for three decades, a bird lover virtually from birth, the father of Minnesota ornithology, and the man who, perhaps more than any other, promoted the study of the state’s natural history. A Love Affair with Birds is the first full biography of this key figure in Minnesota’s past. Roberts came to Minnesota as a boy and began keeping detailed accounts of Minneapolis’s birds. These journals, which became the basis for his landmark work The Birds of Minnesota, also inform this book, affording a view of the state’s rich avian life in its early days—and of a young man whose passion for birds and practice of medicine among Minneapolis’s elite eventually dovetailed in his launching of the beloved Bell Museum of Natural History. Bird enthusiast, doctor, author, curator, educator, conservationist: every chapter in Roberts’s life is also a chapter in the state’s history, and in his story acclaimed author Sue Leaf—an avid bird enthusiast and nature lover herself—captures a true Minnesota character and his time.

Penguins, among the most delightful creatures in the world, are also among the most vulnerable. The fragile status of most penguin populations today mirrors the troubled condition of the southern oceans, as well as larger marine conservation problems: climate change, pollution, and fisheries mismanagement. This timely book presents the most current knowledge on each of the eighteen penguin species--from the majestic emperor penguins of the Antarctic to the little blue penguins of New Zealand and Australia, from the northern rockhopper penguins of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans to the Galápagos penguins of the equator--written by the leading experts in the field. The discussion of each species includes the life history, distribution, population sizes and trends, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status, as well as threats to survival and legal protections, if any. The book also provides information on current conservation efforts, outlines the most important actions to be taken to increase each population's resilience, and recommends further research needed to protect penguins along with the living creatures that share their environment. Beautifully illustrated with color photographs of each species in their natural habitats and detailed charts and graphs, Penguins will be an invaluable tool for researchers, conservation groups, and policy makers. It will also enchant anyone interested in the lives or the plight of these fascinating animals. Pablo Garcia Borboroglu is a researcher at the National Research Council of Argentina, president of the Global Penguin Society, and affiliate professor at the University of Washington. P. Dee Boersma is professor of biology and Wadsworth Endowed Chair in Conservation Science at the University of Washington. She is coeditor of Invasive Species in the Pacific Northwest and executive editor of Conservation magazine.

The Barn Swallow is a familiar and popular bird, breeding in North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa and wintering in South America, southern Africa, southern Asia and even northern Australia. This book examines all aspects of the life of this endearing bird, including chapters on its flying skills and feeding habits, mate choice, migratory behaviour and population dynamics. It also considers changes in populations and behaviour in relation to intensive agriculture and climate change. "...a lucid summary of what is known ... Turner has much of interest to report from ornithology and her own thirty years of observing the bird." - Tim Dee, Times Literary Supplement, May 2007.

Cuckoos and cowbirds are amongst the select bird groups renowned as professional parasites, who always lay their eggs in the nests of other species, and this book describes the natural histories of all the brood parasites and examines the exciting questions they raise about the evolution of cheating and the arms race between parasites and their hosts. With illustrations by David Quinn. Digital reprint of a book first published in 2000.

Based on the author's 17 years of research on shearwaters at Atlantic colonies, the book covers in detail breeding biology, vocal behaviour, transequatorial migrations and population dynamics of the species, and draws comparisons with other shearwater and petrel species. Illustrated with vignettes by Dafila Scott. Digital reprint of a book originally published in 1990.

A large and spectacular bird of prey, the Goshawk lives in boreal forests throughout the Northern hemisphere. A powerful hunter of large birds and woodland mammals, it was persecuted for many years by game keepers to the point of extinction in the UK. However, escaped falconry birds led to the establishment of a new population in the 1960s, though the species remains rare and elusive - birders need a combination of hard work and a little luck to see this magnificent raptor. The Goshawk is an authoritative yet highly readable monograph of the species. It includes chapters on nomenclature, races and morphs, biometrics, nesting, incubation and chick-rearing, migration, feeding ecology, population dynamics, and conservation, punctuated throughout with illuminating tales from author Robert Kenward's extensive field research. The book is packed with illustrations, figures and maps, and contains a selection of the author's superb photographs of the birds. The product of almost 30 years work, this title is a classic Poyser monograph; birders will enjoy the fascinating insights into the biology of the bird, while academics will appreciate the book's comprehensive literature review.

From the author of "The Peregrine Falcon", this monograph presents a thorough summary of our knowledge of the species' natural history, emphasizing also the long association of the bird with humankind. Chapters cover distribution, feeding habits, social behaviour, movements, breeeding, territorialism and population regulation of ravens in Britain and Ireland. The author also looks at ravens and modern agricultural practice, their intelligence, and ravens elsewhere in the world.

The FLMNH Recent bird skeleton collection of 24,500 specimens, representing about 3,000 species, is approximately fifth largest in the world in number of specimens and species. In 1992, the FLMNH received the Recent bird skeleton collection assembled by Prof. Pierce Brodkorb of the University of Florida's Department of Zoology. With the assistance of an NSF collection improvement grant, this skeleton collection was computer-cataloged and integrated into the FLMNH bird collection (already computerized in 1992-1994). The skeleton collection has grown by 140% in the last five years. It contains specimens from 47 U.S. states and 103 countries. The top ten states are: FL with 11,169 specimens; CA with 638; ME 227; MA 218; GA 213; AK 201; NY 154; TX 142; AZ 140; VA 124. The top ten countries are: US 13,282; Mexico 745; Netherlands 397; Costa Rica 320; Kenya 312; Panama 252; Zimbabwe 217; Suriname 213; Canada 198; Australia 124. Taxonomically the collection ranges across the class Aves, representing 23 orders, 128 families, and 950 genera. The bird skin collection contains approximately 20,500 specimens representing at least 2,300 species. These are mostly study skins, but in recent years we have prepared a large proportion of new specimens as flat skins or spread wings with associated skeletons. In 1992, the division also received the collection of approximately 3,000 skins assembled by Prof. Brodkorb. The skin collection has grown by 23% in the last five years. It is 99% computerized and contains specimens from 45 U.S. states and 77 countries. The top ten states are: FL with 7,451 specimens; GA with 265; RI 244; CT 197; CA 173; MA 168; SC 134; ME 86; NC 86; AK 84. The top ten countries are: US 9,696; Mexico 1,513; Honduras 730; Kenya 276; Colombia 204; Cuba 153; Philippines 117; Canada 104; Suriname 101; Haiti 99. Also wide-ranging taxonomically, it represents 27 orders, 129 families, and 850 genera. Rarities include skins of extinct Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, Dusky Seaside Sparrows, Passenger Pigeons, and Carolina Parakeets. The egg collection, consisting of 10,400 sets representing 733 species, is 11th largest in North America in number of sets and 15th largest in number of species. It represents approximately 90% of the species and subspecies of North American birds. The egg collection has grown by 1% in the last five years. It is cataloged in a card file that includes original collectors' data slips or page references to the collector's field notes. Especially well represented are sets from New England and Florida. The collection is rich in sets of raptor eggs, including Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Broad-winged Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Crested Caracaras, and American Kestrels, and the Florida races of Seaside Sparrows and Clapper Rails. Rarities include sets of Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, and Bachman's Warbler eggs. The bird sound collection, in the FLMNH Bioacoustic Archives, with 20,500 cataloged recordings representing about 3,000 species, is perhaps third or fourth largest in the world in number of species. In the western hemisphere it is the second largest in number of species and third largest in number of recordings. We are now processing one of our largest accessions ever, the collection of Ben B. Coffey, Jr., with thousands of high-quality recordings from the southeastern USA and the Neotropics. The sound collection has grown by 20% in the last five years, not counting the Coffey accession. It is cataloged entirely on computer. Geographical strengths include North America, especially Florida, and the Neotropics, with smaller but notable numbers of recordings from Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Some taxonomic groups especially well represented are tinamous, trogons, woodpeckers, antbirds, New World flycatchers, wrens, New World wood warblers, and corvids. For further information, or to arrange for examination of particular specimens, contact the Collection Manager.

With emphasis on the birds of northwesternmost North America, including taxa endemic to Beringia and the circumpolar North, the Bird Collection is the best in existence of avian material from Alaska. Almost all bird species and subspecies known in Alaska are represented and are preserved primarily as skins, skeletons, and tissues. The collection consists of over 27,000 birds. Most recent preparations include skin, partial skeleton, tissue, and stomach samples for each individual. Tissues are part of the Genomic Resources Collection. Specimens are regularly loaned for scientific research. Specimen loan policies and a summary database are available for interested researchers. Checklist of Alaska birds: http://www.universityofalaskamuseumbirds.org/products/checklist.pdf

The Cowan Tetrapod Collection contains over 40,000 specimens of vertebrates, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. The collections are primarily from western Canada, especially British Columbia and the Yukon. The collection is particularly rich in mammals and birds, and is home to an impressive array of bird eggs. In particular, the collection is comprised of: 18,000 mammal specimens from 540 species 17,500 birds from 1,650 species 7,000 bird eggs from 625 species 1,600 amphibians and reptiles from 180 species Collection Online The Cowan Tetrapod Collection (CTC) avian collection specimens are listed on ORNIS, the the avian division of VertNet. The Cowan Tetrapod Collection is very proud to be part of this 46-member international multi-museum search engine. Species, localities, or collectors can be searched using conventional database fields or by drawing Google Earth polygons: search ORNIS. To restrict searches to specimens in the Cowan Tetrapod Collection, please type UBCBBM in the field labelled: "Institution Code and/or Catalog Number", or use the drop-down menu and click on UBCBBM. A project is underway to bring the mammal, reptile, and amphibian CTC collections online via VertNet this summer. Links to these search engines will be added to this webpage when the project is complete.

The Ornithology group in the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas conducts research and provides undergraduate and graduate education on the birds of the world. Research topics include the species limits and species diversity, evolution, geography, genetics and genomics, morphology, conservation, ecology, and behavior. This work is greatly enhanced by extensive research collections of world birds, numbering more than 107,000 specimens, many of which are recently collected as part of the group's global bird sampling program. The data associated with all Ornithology specimens are freely available via http://vertnet.org. The collection may be browsed online via our DiGIR Portal and ORNIS. Collection Strengths: 107,000 specimens Research Strengths: Extensive program of avian inventories worldwide, with recent sampling trips to Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Fiji, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, and Palau. Expertise in molecular phylogenetics and phylogeography, niche modeling and biogeography, and pathogen surveillance in birds.

Una de las grandes fortalezas del Instituto de Biología son sus Colecciones Biológicas. El decreto del Presidente de la República Emilio Portes Gil, en 1929 les confiere el nivel de Colecciones Nacionales. Los acervos de la mayoría de las Colecciones Biológicas Nacionales forman la representación más completa y mejor preservada de los distintos grupos de la biota de México. Varias de ellas incluyen también importantes acervos de especimenes de otras regiones del mundo. Las colecciones son una fuente inagotable e insustituible de información sobre varios aspectos de la flora y de la fauna. Se someten continuamente a estudio y actualización por parte de los investigadores del Instituto de Biología y de especialistas de otras instituciones, nacionales y extranjeras. La información de varias de las colecciones, o de porciones de éstas, está incorporada a catálogos y bases de datos. El objetivo primordial de las Colecciones es documentar la biodiversidad de México, recolectando y preservando los especímenes biológicos mediante técnicas de curaduría especializada para cada uno de los grupos. En esta forma, se está en condiciones de proveer información de utilidad en investigación, enseñanza y difusión que permita establecer un inventario actualizado de los recursos bióticos del país, y generar conocimientos sobre su distribución, sistemática, ecología, biogeografía y variación en el espacio y en el tiempo. Las Colecciones Nacionales ponen a disposición de la comunidad científica calificada ejemplares de museo, de México y regiones adyacentes, en óptimo estado de conservación y con el estándar de cuidado apropiado.

The CUMV Bird Collection contain a record of the development of ornithology at Cornell from the earliest days of Arthur A. Allen and Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Dr. Arthur A. Allen, on the faculty at Cornell from 1915–1953, made the name Cornell nearly synonymous with ornithology in the United States. Allen contributed many birds to the collection, and possibly even more importantly, attracted a very large number of students interested in birds. His numerous students contributed specimens from their research and travels all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other parts of the world. The CU collection contain many specimens collected by of Cornell faculty such as George M. Sutton, Charles Sibley, William Dilger, and Tom Cade, but also contains student specimens of Dean Amadon, Walter Bock, F. Graham Cooch, John Emlen, Herbert Friedmann, Ludlow Griscom, Harry Hann, Robert Mengel, Eugene Morton, Ralph Palmer, Kenneth Parkes, Olin S. Pettingill, Alan Phillips, Austin Rand, James Rising, Lester Short, Stanley Temple, Harrison Tordoff, David Wingate, as well as many others. The CUMV Bird Collection currently consists of approximately 38,300 round skins, 700 flat skins, 1,000 spread wings, 5,500 skeletons, 1,400 fluid-preserved specimens, 3,200 egg sets, 590 nests, and 1,000 uncataloged mounts. Approximately 350 of the skeletons have an associated flatskin, and approximately 150 round skins have a separate spread wing. The collection has a world-wide coverage, with approximately half the species of the world's birds (Wood et al. 1982) represented, as well as a number of recently extinct species (such as the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the Carolina Parakeet and the Passenger Pigeon). All families (Wetmore 1960) are represented except the Atrichornithidae. Specimens are present from all continents and more than 134 different countries. The collection is particularly strong in North American material; very few species that breed or regularly occur north of Mexico are missing as skins. Strongest holdings within this area are New York, Nebraska, Texas, Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Florida, South Dakota, Colorado, Manitoba, and Alaska, but all 50 US states and 10 of the Canadian provinces and territories are represented. The area of next greatest representation is Mexico, especially the states of Veracruz, Chiapas, Tamalipas, Puebla, Nuevo Leon, and Oaxaca. The collection contains much topotypical material, but no type specimens are currently kept in the collection. Data for specimens and tissues contained in the CUMV Bird Collection can be searched via ORNIS. Another important bird collection at Cornell is the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. MLNS is the largest collection of its kind in the world, with recordings of over 5,000 species of birds. The Lab of Ornithology is a membership institute dedicated to the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. The Lab fosters understanding about nature and contributes to efforts to protect biological diversity through programs of research, education, and citizen science.

The bird collection in the Yale Peabody Museum’s Division of Vertebrate Zoology is among the most comprehensive in North America, with international and historic significance in several areas. The Division’s affiliated William Robertson Coe Ornithology Library has an extensive nonlending research and teaching collection of books and journals. The Yale Peabody Museum’s collections are available to legitimate researchers for scholarly use. Loans are issued to responsible individuals at established institutions. Loans and access to the collection can be arranged through the Collections Manager.