Rails and Bustards
- Comments
-
Glasgow Museums has a collection of approximately 130 specimens and numerous eggs of rails, bustards and their relatives (Gruiformes). These date from about 1854 to 1999.
This collection includes approximately 60 mounted specimens, 60 skins, eight parts, and two skeletons. These specimens represent 29 species, including British species (the corncrake (Crex crex), the water rail (Rallus aquaticus), the coot (Fulica atra) and the great bustard (Otis tarda)). The collection also includes specimens of the sungrebe (Heliornis fulica) and sun bittern (Eurypga helias), which despite their common names are also classified within this order. Most of these specimens are from Scotland, although there are also some from England and Wales, Romania, Russia, Spain, Kenya, Madagascar, India, Borneo, New Zealand, Chile, Suriname, Trinidad and the USA.
About Gruiformes
The order Gruiformes, meaning ‘crane-like’, contains cranes, and also rails, crakes, bustards and bustard quails and several other small families. It is a very diverse order of birds that live in a wide range of habitats across the globe and do not all look crane-like. - Broader term
- Staff Contact