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
5/9/2011 7/7/2011 9/16/2011 12/18/1996 12/19/1996 12/20/1996 12/21/1996 5/28/2011 3/18/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 6/3/2011 9/6/2011 9/6/2011 9/9/2011 9/22/2011
7/25/2001 4/20/2002 10/29/2002 10/14/2005 10/16/2007 6/6/2008 12/30/2008 5/24/2009 2/17/2009 5/17/2010 6/18/2010 6/29/2010 6/11/2011 3/31/2011
12/28/1993 9/23/2007 1/25/2008 5/1/2008 7/10/2009 7/20/2009 8/20/2009 9/7/2009 9/29/2009 10/6/2009 10/29/2009 11/25/2009 1/7/2010 1/26/2010 2/2/2010 5/11/2010 7/6/2010 7/7/2010 8/9/2010 10/3/2010 11/27/2010 1/19/2011 1/19/2011 1/19/2011 1/20/2011 1/22/2011 3/30/2011 |
Common name
American Woodcock Chipping Swallow Ovenbird W.T. Sparrow Tuffed Titmouse Lincoln Sparrow Gray Catbird Eastern Towhee Evening Grosbeak W.T. Sparrow Veery Nighthawk Hermit Thrush Downy Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Baltimore Oriole Blue Jay Hermit Thrush W.T. Sparrow W.T. Sparrow White Breasted Nuthatch Black Throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Carolina Wren Northern Flicker Eastern Bluebird Wood Thrush Northern Flicker Great Blue Heron Carolina Wren Barred Owl Hairy Woodpecker ??Hawk?? Juv. Wild Turkey Barred Owl Ring Necked Pheasant Eastern Screech Owl American Redstart Downy Woodpecker Yellow Bellied Sapsucker Red Tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl Unknown 2x Unknown Mammals 5x Sturgeon Cedar Waxwing Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Red Bellied Woodpecker 2x Juv. Red Bellied Woodpecker Tuffed Titmouse Barn Swallow Downy Woodpecker Wood Thrush Carolina Wren Pilated Woodpecker Sharp Shinned Hawk Juv. Sharp Shinned Hawk Northern Saw Whet Owl Black & White Warbler ??Warbler?? Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Coopers Hawk American Gold Finch ??Warbler?? 2x Yellow Rumped Warbler W.T. Sparrow Ruddy Duck Eastern Screech Owl Sharp Shinned Hawk Song Sparrow Black & White Warbler Willet ??Shorebird?? Northern Waterthrush Downy Woodpecker Gold Crowned Kinglet American Coot Long Tailed Duck Hooded Merganser Red Breasted Merganser Hooded Merganser Rock Dove |
Species
Scolopax minor Spizella passeria Seiurus aurocapillus Zonotrichie abicollis Baeolophus bicolor Melospozia lincolnii Dumetella carolinensis Pipilo erythrophthalmus Coccothraustes vespertinus Zonotrichie abicollis Catharus fuscens Chordeiles minor Catharus ustulatus Picoides pude Picoides pude Icterus galbule Cyancitta cristata Catharus guttatus Zonotrichie abicollis Zonotrichie abicollis Sitta carolinensis Amphispiza bilineata Melpsoiza melodia Thryothorus ludovicians Colaptes auratus Silalia sialis Hylocichla mustelina Colaptes auratus Ardea herodias Thryothorus ludovicians Strix varia Picoides pude Accipiter Meleagris gall Strix varia Phasianus colchicus Otus asio Setophaga ruticilla Picoides pude Sphyrapicus varius Buteo jamaicansis Bubo virginianus
Bombycilla cedrorum Phuecticus ludovicianus Melanerpes carolinus Melanerpes carolinus Baeolophus bicolor Hirundo rustica Picoides pude Hylocichla mustelina Thryothorus ludovicians Dryocopus pileatus Accipiter striatus Accipiter striatus Aegolius acadicus Mniotilla varia
Phuecticus ludovicianus Accipiter cooperii Caruelis tristis
Dendroica coronata Zonotrichie abicollis Oxyura jamaicensis Otus asio Accipiter striatus Melosoiza melodia Mniotilla varia Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
Seiurus noveboracensis Picoides pude Regulus satrapa Fulica americana Clangula hyemalis Lophodytes cucullatus Mergus serrator Lophodytes cucullatus Columba livia |
Prep Priority Score
In Progress (L.H.) 2 2 In Progress (???) 3 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 In Progress (M.A) 2 Drying in hood 2 2 Drying in hood 1 1 1 3 In Progress (N.P.) 2 2 In Progress (S.H.) 2 1 1 1 In Progress (???) 1 1 In Progress (S.H.) 3 1 2 1 1 1
2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 2 1 1
2 1 3
2 2 2 3 3 1 1 1
1 2 1 2 2 3 1 3 1 |
Condition / Comments
good fair good skin only good good fair good fair fair good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good
good good good good good good good good good good fair fair good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good |
Data
some some some some no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes some yes yes yes yes yes yes some yes yes yes no no yes yes some some some some yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes
some no no no no no no some no some yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes some yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes |
Status
Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections Collections TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS TLS Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega Rubega |
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