Quick Search

Search by Catalog Number, Occurrence ID, or Record ID. Search by Catalog Number, Occurrence ID, or Record ID.

Collection Profile for:
Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology Birds (WFVZ)

The WFVZ houses approximately 225,000 sets of eggs (equal to more than 1,000,000 individual eggs), representing at least 4,000 bird species from around the world, and collected from more than 400 individual and institutional collections. it is the largest in the world and has contributed to multiple scientific fields (e.g., conservation, ecology, taxonomy, and toxicology). The Foundation has more than 18,000 specimens from around the world, representing the largest collection of nests in North America and the world. The WFVZ houses more than 56,000 study skin specimens representing over 100 countries, with the largest numbers of specimens from the United States (>12,900), Mexico (>12,600), Malaysia (>4,400), Costa Rica (>4,000), and Ecuador (>3,800). The skin collection is at least the 16th largest among North American collections. The primary sources for specimens currently are wildlife rehabilitation organizations; wildlife research agencies; birds killed by cats, window strikes, and car impacts; and the Foundation’s own field research projects. Materials are consistently acquired by the Western Foundation and used by researchers, educators, scientific artists, and other museums. 

Homepage

Contacts:

Cite this collection:
Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology Birds. Occurrence dataset (ID: 20ae65db-a0ee-4d82-83e4-c25d71eb0365) accessed via the New Brunswick Museum Collections Portal, /portal, 2024-10-13).

Collection Statistics

  • 920 specimen records
  • 77 (8%) georeferenced
  • 903 (98%) identified to species
  • 26 families
  • 53 genera
  • 49 species
  • 101 total taxa (including subsp. and var.)

Extra Statistics

Show Geographic Distribution
Show Family Distribution
Collection Type: Preserved Specimens
Management: Data snapshot of local collection database
Last Update: 9 November 2023
Digital Metadata: EML File
IPT / DwC-A Source: WFVZ-DwC-import-2023
Usage Rights:
Rights Holder: Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology
Image Search this Collection