ORNITHOLOGY
by Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Ornithology, the study of birds, is one of the founding disciplines of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. At the core of the program is a research collection of 121,000 bird specimens, representing over 5,400 species.
Our collections are particularly strong for North America, Africa, South America, and the Pacific Ocean. The bird skeleton collection, representing over 17,000 individuals, is among the three largest in western North America.
Current departmental research efforts include work on the introduced birds of Los Angeles, research to understand how birds are evolving in response to recent environmental changes like new diseases, and studies of the evolution of feather coloration.
Support the Ornithology Department by making a donation to the Museum Fund today!