Hummingbirds
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of over 100 hummingbird (Trochilidae) specimens. These date from the mid-1800s to 1983.
This collection includes 85 skins, 19 mounted specimens, one nest and a single hummingbird egg. These specimens represent 40 different species of hummingbird. The majority of the mounted specimens were originally displayed with other attractive foreign birds in cases or glass domes, some of which still survive. Consequently, these specimens have very little information associated with them, such as about when and where they were collected. In many cases, the only information is the country of origin.
An important specimen in this collection is a skin of the critically endangered Juan Fernandez firecrown (Sephanoides fernandensis). This species was originally described in 1831 by Professor Thomas King. King donated the specimen in this collection in 1895. The 2020 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species report for the Juan Fernandez firecrown estimated that there are only 1500 to 3500 mature individuals left. The main threats to their survival are habitat loss and invasive species.
About hummingbirds
The hummingbirds are a large family of over 360 species that are found in the Americas. They are small birds with long bills that they use for extracting nectar from deep within flowers. They are well known for their ability to hover by rapidly flapping their wings 15–80 times a second and they are the only birds that can fly backwards. Hummingbirds have vibrant plumage with bright metallic colouration, which made them popular to use in exhibits in Victorian times. - Broader term
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