National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Division of Birds

The collection of Birds under the care of the Smithsonian was begun in 1850 when Spencer F. Baird, the newly appointed Assistant Secretary, came to the Institution and brought his collection of over 3,600 birds. A Department of Ornithology in the United States National Museum (USNM) was established in 1880. Its name was changed to the Department of Birds in 1881. In 1897, as a result of a reorganization of the USNM, it became the Division of Birds of the newly created Department of Biology. In 1947, the Division came under the administrative control of the Department of Zoology, and in 1964 became a division of the newly established Department of Vertebrate Zoology.

The Division of Birds houses and maintains the world's third largest bird collection with over 600,000specimens representing 80% of the approximately 9,600 known species in the world's avifauna. Division staff perform a variety of collection management activities including accessioning and cataloging new collections, preparing specimens, and loaning specimens to researchers unable to visit the Smithsonian. In addition to the Smithsonian staff, zoologists from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey are permanently stationed in the division and work closely with colleagues and specimens at the Museum. These specialists focus primarily on North American birds.

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