Birds in Australian and New Zealand museums—a major resource for ornithology

Abstract

The 14 major bird collections in Australia (10) and New Zealand (4) together hold half a million specimens, including 275 000 from Australia and 115 000 from New Zealand. Six large collections in Australia, and two in New Zealand, each hold at least 30 000 birds. The largest single collection (Australian Museum, Sydney) has 78 000 birds. Overall, study‐skins are the most common form of preparation (47%), followed by eggs (20%). However, for New Zealand collections alone, fossil bones are the biggest single category (56%) reflecting that country's remarkable Holocene fossil record of birds. Taxonomically, the best‐represented group in the Australasian collections is the order Passeriformes, followed by Anseriformes, Procellariiformes, Psittaciformes, Charadriiformes, Columbiformes, Falconiformes, and ratites (Rati‐tae). Most birds in Australasian collections (81%) are from Australia or New Zealand, followed by 27 000 specimens (6%) from the south‐west Pacific (islands of Polynesia and Melanesia, including New Guinea). The Australasian collections are managed by a total staffing complement of about 25 FTE (full‐time equivalents), most of whom care for other taxonomic groups besides birds. Nearly all specimen records are now captured electronically, but seven different software systems are used (KE “EMu” and Vernon Systems “Collection” most commonly). The 14 Australasian bird collections together form a nationally and internationally important resource. These collections document the biodiversity of the birds of the Australasian biogeographic region, and allow researchers to study many aspects of avian biology, including speciation, biogeography, moult and plumages, systematics and conservation.