Short Description
The Bird Collection at the NHM dates back to 1793. It represents one of the few scientific institutions in Austria, devoted to biodiversity, taxonomy and biogeography of birds. The scientific Bird Collection covers species from all over the world and is engaged in international research projects. With approximately 130,000 objects, the bird collection of the NHM Vienna is one of the largest in Europe.
The Bird Skin Collection presently holds 120,000 specimens from all over the world. The Palearctic region, parts of Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and especially Brazil, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, and Great Britain are covered best . Approximately two-thirds of all known bird species found worldwide are represented. The collection holds more than 1.000 type specimens, many extinct species, and historic unique records.
Approximately 2,000 of the collection's 10,000 specimens are permanently on display in the public gallery, illustrating bird diversity and their habitats.
The collection is referenced in scientific literature by the acronym "NMW" (derived from Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) or since 2025 by "NHMW-ZOO-VS".
Contact Person
PD Dr. Swen Renner
Research Services
• Ornithological reference collection for Austria and specific geographical areas worldwide
• Tissue samples and genetic material available for scientific studies and research
• Support for the determination of bird derivatives
• Ornithological library
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
The ornithology section of the NHM has currently two major research areas:
(1) Taxonomy, biogeography, speciation and species range distribution of birds, mainly in Europe and Southeast Asia
(2) Global change is accelerating rapidly and includes climate, land use, and land cover changes among others. Important forms of land use change for birds are habitat loss such as deforestation and habitat modifications such as intensification of land use. These modifications are responsible for changes in species numbers, abundance, diversity, functional diversity, local extinctions, range shifts, and alterations of species interactions and ecological processes such as parasitism or predation.
Allocation to research infrastructure
Renner SC, Bates PJJ (2020) Historic changes in species composition for a globally unique bird community Scientific Reports 10:10739 doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67400-z
Renner SC et al. (2016a) Forests of opportunities and mischief: disentangling the interactions between forests, parasites and immune responses International Journal for Parasitology 46:571-579 doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.04.008
Renner SC, Rappole JH, Milensky CM, Myint Aung, Nay Myo Shwe, Thein Aung (2015) Avifauna of the Southeastern Himalayan Mountains and neighboring Myanmar hill country Bonn Zoological Bulletin - Supplementum 62:1-75
Renner SC, Rappole JH, Myint Kyaw, Milensky CM, Päckert M (2017) Genetic confirmation of the species status of Jabouilleia naungmungensis Journal of Ornithology 159:63-71 doi:10.1007/s10336-017-1493-0
Renner SC et al. (2016b) Using multiple landscape genetic approaches to test the validity of genetic clusters in a species characterized by an isolation-by-distance pattern Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 118:292-303 doi:10.1111/bij.12737
van Hoesel W, Santiago Alarcon D, Marzal A, Renner SC (2020) Effects of forest structure on the interaction between avian hosts, dipteran vectors and haemosporidian parasites BMC Ecology 20:47 doi:10.1186/s12898-020-00315-5
Dvorak, M., Landmann, A., Teufelbauer, N., Wichmann, G., Berg, H.-M. & Probst, R. (2018): Erhaltungszustand und Gefährdungssituation der Brutvögel Österreichs: Rote Liste (5. Fassung) und Liste für den Vogelschutz prioritärer Arten (1. Fassung). – Egretta - Vogelkundliche Nachrichten aus Österreich, 55: 4-40.
Berg, H.-M. & Haring, E. (2016): Erster Nachweis der Steppenkragentrappe Chlamydotis macqueenii (J.E Gray, 1832) für Österreich. – Egretta - Vogelkundliche Nachrichten aus Österreich, 54: 150-154.