MVZ Egg and Nest Collection (Arctos)

Project name: Global Biodiversity Information Facility datasets

Dataset summary : MVZ egg and nest specimens are catalogued separately from traditional specimens (skins, skeletons, fluids). The egg and nest collection contains over 14,000 items, including over 12,800 egg sets, 220 nests, and 900 egg-nest combinations. The size of this collection ranks it as one of the largest such collections in North America. Eggs of nest parasites (e.g., cowbirds) are present in approximately 120 sets, and 150 egg sets or nests are associated with catalogued bird specimens. Eggs in this collection range in size from the tiny eggs of hummingbirds (0.2 grams) to the gigantic eggs of the extinct elephant bird (9 kilograms). Approximately 80-90% of the specimens are accompanied by original collector data slips and by photographs of sets taken in the museum, both of which are digitally linked to the record online. These data slips contain information on collecting locality, date, clutch size, incubation, identification, nest composition, and nest placement.