Bälge südostasiatischer Pittas (Pittidae)

Museum of Zoology

Ornithology

The Dresden collection of birds houses approximately 91.000 objects including whole skins, mounted specimens, skeletons, eggs, nests and feather mounts. The collections have a world-wide coverage with a strong geographical focus on Europe (regional and local series including rarity records from Saxony) East Asia (particularly China) and New Guinea. Several extinct species are represented by a number of specimens, among these Great Auk, Huia, Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet and skeletal remains of several moas.  Important contributors to the Dresden collection were Adolf-Bernhard Meyer, Hugo Weigold, Carl Schneider, Ernst Bährmann, and Otto Kleinschmidt.

Research Focus

Molecular systematics of Eurasian passerines – Molecular dating – Bioacoustics – Phylogeography – Island biogeography and radiations – Secondary contact zones in the Palearctic

Our research contributes to the Research Field Biodiversity and Systematics.