Ornithological collections (naturalized birds and the scientific avian integument collection)

The Zoological Museum of Babeș-Bolyai University has one of the oldest and most significant bird collections in Romania. It was established in 1859 and has been continually enriched with specimens to this day. The collection includes specimens of both exotic species and Romanian fauna. One part of the collection consists of specimens preserved as avian integuments and intended for scientific study, and the other part comprises specimens of naturalized birds that belong to the museum’s permanent exhibition. Both in the scientific collection and in the permanent exhibition, numerous autochthonous species are considered ornithological rarities.

The ornithological collection comprises about 3,000 specimens of 487 species, 107 families, and 32 orders. The orders with the greatest number of species are Passeriformes, Charadriiformes, Apodiformes, Anseriformes, Accipitriformes, and Galliformes. The families with the most specimens are Accipitridae, Fringillidae, Muscicapidae, Anatidae, Scolopacidae, and Turdidae. The museum’s collection includes specimens from six continents: Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and Africa. The collection is unique in the region in several respects: it spans an extended period, encompasses a diverse array of species from different families and orders, and represents the work result of several naturalists and museum staff.