This project documents bird specimens collected across Taiwan from 1991 to 2012, as part of an effort to preserve avian genetic resources and contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity in Taiwan and globally. Specimens were obtained from naturally deceased individuals and non-lethal sources such as window collisions, banding mortality, and rescue center mortalities. These were donated by a range of contributors, including private individuals, ornithological societies, universities, conservation agencies, wildlife rescue centers and others.

From 2012 to 2013, specimens underwent wet lab procedures at the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS), Taichung. Muscle tissue was sampled under sterile conditions, and DNA was extracted and sequenced targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, a widely used barcode marker for avian species identification.

The dataset comprises 191 records, covering a diverse range of bird species from multiple orders and families, aligned with the 2023 TWBF Checklist of the Birds of Taiwan (Link to checklist: https://www.bird.org.tw/sites/default/files/field/file/download/The%202…). Most records are georeferenced to sites across Taiwan. Sequencing data are publicly available via NCBI GenBank, with accession numbers ranging from PV770366 to PV770556. This dataset contributes both morphological and molecular resources to the scientific community, supporting avian taxonomy, DNA barcoding, and long-term conservation research.

All bird specimens were collected under the Ornithology Collection of the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS) and are curated to ensure high standards of preservation, data quality, and accessibility for future research.

GBIF url: https://www.gbif.org/dataset/586c3f2c-4bb4-4581-b33e-5bfc9a9c9bd5
Citation: Hoh D, Yao C (2025). NMNS Avian DNA Barcode Project. National Museum of Natural Science. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/uypa42 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-08-18.