Ornithology Collections: Specimen Donation and Tracking
Collection Manager: Susan Hochgraf
Office: BioPhysics 127
Office Phone: 486-8945
Email: susan.hochgraf@uconn.edu
Preparators: Alejandro Rico Guevara, Jorge deLeon, Margaret Rubega
What To Do If You Find a Dead Bird, and Want to Donate It to the UConn Research Collection
Our collection of bird skins, tissues and bones is currently growing largely through salvage: we accept birds found dead by members of the public. These specimens add to the "library of birdlife" we maintain. Your donations make it possible for future researchers to investigate the bird populations of Connecticut.
If you find a dead bird, the very first thing to do is to determine if it is fresh enough to make a useful specimen. A bird that hasn't been dead for long will be round, not flattened or sagging; the eyes will be full and still moist; the feathers will not fall out when you handle the bird; the body will not smell. In contrast, a specimen that has already begun to decay will be collapsed, and may be oozing fluids; the eyes will be sunken and dry-looking; the feathers will be loosely attached and fall out easily when tugged, or when you handle the bird; there may be insects (ants, maggots) on or in the specimen; and the body will smell bad.
Specimens showing advanced signs of decay are best left where they are. Specimens in good condition should be sealed in a plastic bag (a ziploc with the air squeezed out of it is ideal) with a note containing the following information: your name and contact information; the location (at least town) where the bird was found; the date; and any information you may have about the bird (e.g., how it died - "Hit a window"). If you have the means to measure the bird's weight at the time you picked it up, that information is also very helpful. Once the bird is sealed in a plastic bag, PUT IT IN THE FREEZER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Freezing the body arrests the process of decay, and maximizes the likelihood we can prepare the specimen in a way that will preserve it.
The collection manager works part time (one day per week); she is in the collection on Thursdays. Accordingly, Thursdays are the best days to bring a specimen you wish to donate to the collection. You can call the manager at 860-486-8945 to ensure that someone will be present to take the specimen from you at the time you are due to arrive. If you cannot bring your donation by on a Thursday, contact someone in the Rubega lab at 486-3839 or 486-0309 to arrange a meeting to drop the specimen off.
Inventory of Donated Specimens
(as specimens are prepared, they will move off this list and onto the collection database )
Date Donated | Common name | Species | Prep Priority Score | Condition / Comments | Data | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Woodcock | Scolopax minor | Drying in Hood | good | some | Collections | ||
19-Apr-2011 | Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | Drying in Hood | fair | some | Collections | |
Ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapillus | 2 | good | some | Collections | ||
W.T. Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | In Progress (???) | skin only | some | Collections | ||
Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor | 3 | good | no | Collections | ||
Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | 3 | good | no | Collections | ||
Common Loon | Gavia immer | 2 | good | no | Collections | ||
16-Apr-2011 | Red-Throated Loon | Gavia stellata | 1 | good | yes | Collections | |
1-Mar-2011 | Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | 2 | good | yes | Collections | |
27-Dec-2001 | ?Loon? | Gavia ??? | 1 | good | yes | Collections | |
9-May-2011 | Lincoln's Sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | save for JDL | good | yes | Collections | |
7-Jul-2011 | Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | 3 | fair | yes | Collections | |
16-Sep-2011 | Eastern Towhee | Pipilo erythrophthalmus | In progress (M.A) | good | yes | Collections | |
18-Dec-1996 | Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus | 1 | fair | yes | Collections | |
19-Dec-1996 | W.T. Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | 3 | fair | yes | Collections | |
20-Dec-1996 | Veery | Catharus fuscescens | 1 | good | yes | Collections | |
21-Dec-1996 | Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | 1 | good | yes | Collections | |
28-May-2011 | Wood Thrush (young) | Hylocichla mustelina | Drying in Hood | good | some | Collections | |
18-Mar-2011 | Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | 2 | good | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | Drying in Hood | good | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula | 2 | good | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Drying in Hood | good | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Drying in Hood | good | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | Hermit Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | 3 | poor | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | W.T. Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | 2 | good | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | W.T. Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | Drying in Hood | good | some | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | White-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis | 1 | good | yes | Collections | |
31-Mar-2011 | Black-Throated Sparrow | Amphispiza bilineata | 1 | good | yes | Collections | |
3-Jun-2011 | Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | 1 | good | yes | Collections | |
6-Sep-2011 | Carolina Wren | Thryothorus ludovicianus | 3 | good | no | Collections | |
6-Sep-2011 | Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | In Progress (N.P.) | good | no | Collections | |
9-Sep-2011 | Eastern Bluebird | Silalia sialis | Drying in Hood | good | yes | Collections | |
22-Sep-2011 | Wood Thrush | Hylocichla mustelina | Drying in Hood | good | yes | Collections | |
Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | In Progress (S.H.) | good | some | TLS | ||
25-Jul-2001 | Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | 2 | good | some | TLS | |
20-Apr-2002 | Carolina Wren | Thryothorus ludovicianus | 1 | good | some | TLS | |
29-Oct-2002 | Barred Owl | Strix varia | 1 | good | some | TLS | |
14-Oct-2005 | Hairy Woodpecker | Picoides villosus | 1 | good | yes | TLS | |
16-Oct-2007 | ?Hawk? | Accipiter ?? | In Progress (???) | good | yes | TLS | |
6-Jun-2008 | Juv. Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | 1 | good | yes | TLS | |
30-Dec-2008 | Barred Owl | Strix varia | 1 | good | yes | TLS | |
24-May-2009 | Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | In Progress (S.H.) | good | yes | TLS | |
17-Feb-2009 | Eastern Screech Owl | Megascops asio | 3 | good | yes | TLS | |
17-May-2010 | American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | 1 | good | yes | TLS | |
18-Jun-2010 | Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | 2 | good | yes | TLS | |
29-Jun-2010 | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus varius | 1 | good | yes | TLS | |
11-Jun-2011 | Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | 1 | good | yes | TLS | |
31-Mar-2011 | Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | 1 | good | yes | TLS | |
Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | 3 | good | some | Rubega | ||
Rose-breasted Grosebeak | Pheucticus ludovicianus | 3 | good | no | Rubega | ||
Red-bellied Woodpecker (2x) | Melanerpes carolinus | 3 | good | no | Rubega | ||
Juv. Red-bellied Woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | 3 | good | no | Rubega | ||
Tuffed Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor | 3 | good | no | Rubega | ||
Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | 3 | good | no | Rubega | ||
Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | 3 | good | no | Rubega | ||
Wood Thrush | Hylocichla mustelina | 3 | good | some | Rubega | ||
Carolina Wren | Thryothorus ludovicianus | 3 | good | no | Rubega | ||
Pilated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus | 3 | good | some | Rubega | ||
28-Dec-1993 | Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | 3 | fair | yes | Rubega | |
23-Sept-2007 | Juv. Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | 2 | fair | yes | Rubega | |
25-Jan-2008 | Northern Saw Whet Owl | Aegolius acadicus | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
1-May-2008 | Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
10-Jul-2009 | ?Warbler? | good | yes | Rubega | |||
20-Jul-2009 | Rose-breasted Grosebeak | Pheucticus ludovicianus | 2 | good | yes | Rubega | |
20-Aug-2009 | Cooper's Hawk | Accipiter cooperii | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
7-Sep-2009 | American Goldfinch | Carduelis tristis | 3 | good | yes | Rubega | |
29-Sep-2009 | ?Warbler? | good | some | Rubega | |||
6-Oct-2009 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | Dendroica coronata | 2 | good | some | Rubega | |
28-Oct-2009 | W.T. Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | 2 | good | yes | Rubega | |
25-Nov-2009 | Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | 2 | good | yes | Rubega | |
7-Jan-2010 | Eastern Screech Owl | Megascops asio | 3 | good | yes | Rubega | |
29-Jan-2010 | Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | 3 | good | yes | Rubega | |
2-Feb-2010 | Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
11-May-2010 | Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
6-Jul-2010 | Willet | Catoptrophorus semipalmatus | for JDL | good | yes | Rubega | |
7-Jul-2010 | ?Shorebird? | good | yes | Rubega | |||
9-Aug-2010 | Northern Waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
3-Oct-2010 | Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | 3 | good | yes | Rubega | |
27-Nov-2010 | Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
19-Jan-2011 | American Coot | Fulica americana | 2 | good | yes | Rubega | |
19-Jan-2011 | Long-tailed Duck | Clangula hyemalis | 2 | good | yes | Rubega | |
19-Jan-2011 | Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | 2 | good | yes | Rubega | |
20-Jan-2011 | Red-breasted Merganser | Mergus serrator | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
22-Jan-2011 | Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | 2 | good | yes | Rubega | |
30-Mar-2011 | Rock Dove | Columba livia | 1 | good | yes | Rubega | |
10-Sep-2011 | American Robin, young | Turdus migratorius | 2 | good | yes | Collections | |
spring 2011 | Empidonax sp. | Empidonax flycatcher | for JDL | good | yes | collections | |
Sep 2011 | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris | for Alejandro | okay | yes | Collections
|