The ornithological collection of the Museum of Nature Hamburg (formerly Zoological Museum Hamburg or ZMH) includes approximately 70,000 specimens, and encompasses roughly one quarter of all recognized species of birds. This collection includes the following highlights: • Extinct & endangered species, type material • An egg collection, including intact clutches parasitized by cuckoos • A collection of roughly 4,000 skeletal specimens, and 2,000 fluid specimens • Approximately 30,000 wing or feather preparations • High temporal and spatial sampling of Northern Germany • Approximately 2,000 specimens of the Eurasian Magpie • Specimens from South Pacific acquired by the Museum Godeffroy • Significant 20th century collections from: o Helgoland & Schleswig-Holstein o West Papua o India o South Georgia & the Falklands o Peru & Ecuador o Angola o South Africa o The Philippines • Additional material in the form of nests, histology slides, photos, and audio recordings In the 19th century, the ZMH was a star attraction in the center of Hamburg, and its taxonomic significance grew with the acquisition of specimens from the Museum Goddefroy. The destruction of the museum and its catalog during the Second World War was a tremendous setback involving a dramatic loss of specimens. In the post-war period, efforts were made to rebuild the collection through acquisition of private collections, expeditions, and exchange. However, this development dropped off between the 1980s and the present decade. This partially matches global trends in the decrease in bird collection during this time, but was exacerbated in Hamburg by the loss of institutional investment, curation staff, and finally parts of the collection space. Today the collection is used by the museum and its staff to study and communicate the diversity of bird life, its evolutionary origins, and its current state in relation to human impacts. Researchers in Hamburg and visitors from elsewhere use the collection to study molecular phylogenetics and avian systematics, as well as the evolution of morphology and behavior. Future generations of researchers should be able to use the collection as a resource for both comparative and longitudinal studies of avian diversity, ecology and evolution. However, Hamburg’s vibrant art scene also finds a use for the bird collection as either inspiration, or as the subject of painting and photography. Furthermore, the taxidermy mount collection features prominently in both temporary and permanent exhibits at the Museum of Nature Hamburg, as well as outreach events with local schools.
GBIF url: https://www.gbif.org/dataset/1d5b6d93-00b2-4bbe-9574-a78c8ed9d718
Homepage: https://leibniz-lib.de/en/collections/zoological-collections/ornitholog…
Citation: Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB). ZMH Ornithology collection. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/q244c9 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-08-18.