Category: Birds

Rediscovering the ‘Hulimaia’ (Moho angustipluma): an extinct bird from the rainforests of Hawai‘i

Have you ever heard of the Kioea (Moho angustipluma)? According to early American naturalists, the native people of Hawai‘i hadn’t either. Endemic to Hawai‘i Island, Moho angustipluma (formerly in the genus Chaetoptila) is a species of Hawaiian ‘honeyeater’ that went extinct by the 1860s, and until recently, has been widely recognized by the native name “Kioea.” The assumed name of this tropical bird has persisted in literature since the late nineteenth century with little information available to contest it. However, new research by Matthew R. Halley, Ph.D., Research Director and Curator of Birds at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, sheds new light on this mysterious species. In a new paper in Pacific Science (University of Hawaii Press), Halley proposes that its true native name has been obscured by time: “Hulimaia.”

Three artistic representations of Moho angustipluma: (left) unnumbered lithographic plate from Wilson and Evans
(1891), presumably based on the Cambridge specimen (UMZC 27/mel/6/a/1), captioned “F. W. Frohawk del. et lith. /
West Newman, imp.”; (center) unnumbered lithographic plate from Rothschild (1900), presumably based on the Rothschild
specimen (AMNH458995), captioned “J.G. Keulemans del. et lith. /Mintern Bros. imp.”; (right) Pl. 11 from Cassin (1858),
based on the holotype (USNM 15771), captioned “T. R. Peale del. / W. G. Newton Sc.”

Titian Ramsay Peale’s (1849) original description of M. angustipluma stated that this bird “frequent[ed] the woody districts … generally found about those trees which are in flower.” This implies that the bird inhabited forested areas on Hawai‘i Island and relied on nectar as its primary food source. Specimens of M. angustipluma reach lengths of 320 to 345 mm, which makes this species the largest known nectivorous passerine (perching) bird species on Hawai‘I, so the name Kioea (standing tall) would seem to be a fitting description—but see below.

Its brown plumage, streaked with white, did not possess the typical black and yellow colors typical of Moho species, although recent genetic evidence suggests that it is correctly placed in that genus (Zhao et al. 2026). Moreover, although native Hawaiians frequently used native bird feathers in cultural materials and artifacts, especially those of the Hawai‘i ‘Ō‘ō (Moho nobilis)and Hawai‘i Mamo (Drepanis pacifica)—both also extinct—the feathers of M. angustipluma are evidently absent from documented Hawaiian feather work. The species is also not represented in native Hawaiian literature, cultural practices, or bird taxonomies.

Three views of the Washington specimen (USNM15771), holotype of Moho angustipluma (Peale), its three extant
labels, and its entry in the USNM ledger. The oldest label (top right) was created after the specimen was cataloged at USNM
on 15 December 1859, after Cassin (1858), and is now detached from the specimen and stored in a separate binder. Reproduced
courtesy of the Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

In literary accounts, scholars concluded that the native Hawaiians, who failed to recognize the name “Kioea” when asked, knew nothing about this native species. However, Halley has proposed that traditional knowledge of M. angustipluma was a casualty of colonization—like the species itself, which went extinct within a century after European contact. Furthermore, he suggests that the reason that locals on Hawai‘i Island were not familiar with the name “Kioea,” was simply that it was not the bird’s true native name.

Halley’s research paper, “Forgotten Knowledge of the Extinct Hawaiian ‘Hulimaia’ (Mohoidae),” uncovers overlooked primary sources which address these misconceptions. Having studied the Peale family for many years, Halley had long puzzled over the history of M. angustipluma. It was not until he was introduced to the writings of Zepherin “Kepelino” Kahō’āli’i Teauotalani, a native Hawaiian scholar, through the scholarship Gomes (2020), that he broke new ground. Teauotalani lived on Hawai‘i during the period when M. angustipluma is believed to have gone extinct, and Halley argues that his account of the “Hulimaia, the Bird of the Mountain Banana Groves” is likely an overlooked native description of the species, which contains otherwise unknown information about its behavior and ecology.

Digital scan of Teauotalani’s (1859) description of “Ta Hulimaia, manu o ta ea.” Reproduced courtesy of the
He Aupuni Palapala Project, Bishop Museum Library & Archives.

Teauotalani (1859) described the “Hulimaia” in an essay titled “Huli-Toa Manu Havaii” (A description of Hawaiian birds), which appeared in a local Hawaiian-language newspaper. The name used by Teauotalani is onomatopoeic—i.e., the name imitates the sound of the bird’s vocalizations—as he stated when “[the bird] cries, it says ‘hulinm-mmaiah, hulinm-mmaiah’ therefore, as ‘hulinm-mmaiah is its cry, it is named hulimaia.” According to Halley, no extant Hawaiian species possesses the combination of large body size, brown plumage, and nectivorous feeding habits described by Teauotalani (1859). However, these features are a good match for the morphology and presumed behavior of the extinct M. angustipluma.

Further research showed that the name “Kioea” was simply an error, which had been introduced to literature by Sanford Dole, a non-native Hawaiian scholar, in 1879. The name simply became entrenched in literature after decades of uncritical repetition. Ultimately, this led Halley to the conclusion that “Hulimaia” (Teauotalani 1859) was the true native name of M. angustipluma.

In a world where science has historically favored Western (print) literature over the oral transfer of knowledge, to rediscover and restore even a small piece of indigenous knowledge—and a forgotten native name—is a massive success. However, Halley’s hope for the future is a simple one. He hopes that the Hulimaia—despite its tragic extinction—will come to be seen as a symbol of cultural restoration.

“Knowledge is something that predates the printing press,” Halley says, “Knowledge is something that ultimately comes from experience, and the native people of Hawai‘i have a great deal of that.”

Furthermore, he says that by recognizing the name “Hulimaia,” and speaking it aloud in the forests of Hawai‘i, we can help to preserve the cultural memory of a lost species. This will serve as a much-needed reminder, that we cannot take the native birds that still exist for granted.

Literature cited

Gomes, N. J. 2020. Reclaiming native Hawaiian knowledge represented in bird taxonomies. Ethnobiol. Lett. 11: 30–43.

Halley, M. R. 2026. Forgotten knowledge of the extinct Hawaiian ‘Hulimaia’ (Mohoidae). Pacific Science 80: 141–156.

Peale, T. R. 1849. United States Exploring Expedition . . . Volume 8. Mammalia and ornithology. C. Sherman, Philadelphia.

Rothschild, W. 1900. The avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands; with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions. Part III. R. H. Porter, London.

Teauotalani, Z. 1859. Hoiliili Havaii: He Mau Hana, Olelo, Manao, E Pili Ana I To Havaii Nei, Pepa 3: He Vahi Huli-Toa Manu Havaii. Pai-Palapala Katolika.

Zhao, M., Kimball, R. T., & Braun, E. L. 2026. The phylogenetic position of the extinct Hawaiian honeyeaters: overcoming the limitations of antique DNA. Zoological Scripta 55: 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.70047.

Article by

Meghan Caughron

My name is Meghan Caughron, and I’m a Scientific Communications Intern at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, funded through the Delaware INBRE. I attend the University of Delaware, where I major in English and minor in Landscape Horticulture and Insect and Wildlife Conservation. In my current role, I aspire to share the untold stories of our collections and shine a metaphorical spotlight on all of the amazing individuals that help to make DelMNS a success.

New Bird Species Discovered in Collections: A Tawi-Tawi Tale of Mismatched Specimens

The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (DelMNS) houses an expansive bird collection in its Collections & Research Division, with over 116,000 bird specimens and 37,000 egg clutches, which are used for both scientific research and education. This collection is managed by DelMNS Research Director and Curator Dr. Matthew Halley, who has worked full-time at the museum since June 2021.

Last year, Dr. Halley encountered something that made him take pause: a single white-throated specimen in a drawer of brown-throated Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon specimens (Ducula poliocephala) from the Philippines. The peculiar white-throated specimen was collected on Tawi-Tawi Island in 1971 by Dioscoro S. Rabor.

In a paper published in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club, Dr. Halley has designated this specimen (DMNH 14999) as the “holotype” of a new species—the Tawi-Tawi Imperial Pigeon (Ducula tawitawi)—the first new (living) species of imperial pigeon to be described to science since 1928.

Species in the genus Ducula (family Columbidae) are commonly known as “imperial pigeons.” They live in the rainforest canopy throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and can reach considerable sizes (35–45 cm). Because their diet primarily consists of fruit, they likely play an important role as seed dispersers in tropical forests.

On the left, three views of DMNH 14999 and (right) its label and entry in the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, Wilmington, ledger; the specimen was identified (apparently by duPont, see text) as ‘Ducula poliocephala nobilis’ when it was catalogued in 1972 (Matthew R. Halley)

The last living Ducula species was described in 1928, nearly a century ago, and before that, it was 1896. For decades, it has been assumed that the scientific inventory of the world’s Ducula species was complete—until now. Unfortunately, around 20% of the ~353 species of pigeons and doves are threatened with extinction, and we can probably add D. tawitawi to the list. It is only found in the threatened rainforests of Tawi-Tawi, a single oceanic island.

Dr. Halley searched through museum databases to locate other Imperial Pigeon specimens from Tawi-Tawi, and contacted colleagues at the Philippine National Museum in Manila, but he only managed to locate two others—both in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (USNM). They were collected during the Menage Expedition in 1891 by Dean Conant Worcester and Frank S. Bourns. Dr. Halley went to the USNM earlier this year, to examine these specimens, and found that they too had white throats like the DMNH specimen!

Halley also found evidence that the songs of D. tawitawi are unique. The mating songs of the closely related Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon (brown-throated D. poliocephala) and White-bellied Imperial Pigeon (D. forsteni) consist of two “coos,” but recordings from Tawi-Tawi made by Desmond Allen, a British ornithologist and field guide author, consisted of 5–8 coos. Because songs are innate (genetically encoded) in pigeons and doves, this implies that these populations are reproductively isolated—more evidence that D. tawitawi was an undescribed species.

Geographic variation in throat colour in the Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon Ducula [poliocephala]
complex, as demonstrated by adult males held in the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, Wilmington:
(A) DMNH 4501: Samar, May 1970; (B) DMNH 66314: Sibuyan, June 1973; (C) DMNH 1701: Mindanao, June
1961; (D) DMNH 14999: Tawi-Tawi, December 1971; (E) DMNH 10576: Mindoro, March 1971; (F) DMNH
66318: Marinduque, April 1972; (G) DMNH 3501: Luzon, March 1969 (Matthew R. Halley)

Amazingly, this isn’t the first time Dr. Halley has uncovered a new kind of bird. In previous years, he led a team that described a cryptic new species (Catharus arcanus) and two new subspecies (C. opertaneus tenebris, C. berlepschi nebulus) of nightingale-thrush from Panama, Ecuador and Peru, respectively, and he has also described two new subspecies of tailorbirds (genus Orthotomus) from the Philippines. The holotypes of the tailorbird subspecies are in the DelMNS collection.

D. tawitawi is the first new Ducula species to be identified in almost one hundred years—without a doubt, there’s always something extraordinary to find in the collections at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science!

References

Halley, M. R. 2022. A new subspecies of Black-headed Tailorbird Orthotomus nigriceps (Cisticolidae) and clarification of age-related plumage sequences. Journal of Asian Ornithology 38: 129–134

Halley, M. R., Catanach, T. A., Klicka, J., and J. D. Weckstein. 2023. Integrative taxonomy reveals hidden diversity in the Catharus fuscater (Passeriformes: Turdidae) complex in Central and South America. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 199: 228–262.

Halley, M. R. 2025. Plumage variation in White-eared Tailorbird Orthotomus cinereiceps (Cisticolidae) with a description of a new subspecies from Mindanao, Philippines. Journal of Asian Ornithology 41: 51–57.

Halley, M. R. 2026. A new species of imperial pigeon (Columbidae: Ducula) from Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 146: 295–310.

Article by

Meghan Caughron

My name is Meghan Caughron, and I’m a Scientific Communications Intern at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, funded through the Delaware INBRE. I attend the University of Delaware, where I major in English and minor in Landscape Horticulture and Insect and Wildlife Conservation. In my current role, I aspire to share the untold stories of our collections and shine a metaphorical spotlight on all of the amazing individuals that help to make DelMNS a success.

On Exhibit: Voices in Flight

Bird songs tell rich stories of territory, courtship, and identity.

Explore these stories in three different ways: photographs of birds captured mid-song, scientific sonograms at the museum that visualize each unique vocalization, and audio recordings here.


Each photograph by Lew Scharpf freezes a fleeting moment as a bird lifts its beak and fills the air with sound. The sonograms, on exhibit at the museum and created by Matthew Halley using software by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, translate those songs into a visual language — patterns of frequency and time that make the invisible audible. Many recordings were made by Dr. Halley, with additional audio from xeno-canto.org.

Song Sparrow

(Thyothorus carolinensis)

The pleasing song of this species is a series of trills and clear whistles. It can be heard in pretty much any open or brushy habitat, including residential neighborhoods and farmers’ fields. They live year-round in Delaware and often form small flocks during the breeding season.

Recorded by Matthew R. Halley on 28 April 2020 in Philadelphia Co., PA.

Great Horned Owl

(Thyothorus carolinensis)

The rhythmic, muffled hoots of this species are uttered at very low frequency (less than 1 kHz) — look for the dark lines at the very bottom of the sonogram.

Recorded by David Darrell-Lambert on 17 May 2019 in Essex Co., ON, Canada.

Northern Flicker

(Colaptes auratus)

The loud “fleer” call of this species often alerts birders to its presence in nearby woodlands. Unlike most woodpeckers, flickers are frequently seen foraging on the ground in open areas, eating ants and other insects.

Recorded by Stanislas Wroza on 21 May 2025 in Portneuf, QC, Canada.

Bald Eagle

(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

The voice of the Bald Eagle is a series of weak chirping whistles — maybe not what you would expect from a
fearsome predator. Because of this, in movies and television programs, the scream of the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is often dubbed in, to make the eagle seem fiercer than it is!

Recorded by Bruce Lagerquist on 16 November 2022 in Clallam Co., WA.

White-breasted Nuthatch

(Sitta carolinensis)

The short nasal calls of this species (“yenk, yenk”) can be heard in open woods with mature trees, especially oaks and pines. They cling to the trunks of trees and can even be seen clambering down head-first, peeking under layers of bark for food.

Recorded by Jim Berry on 21 May 2016 in Chautaqua Co., NY.

Downy Woodpecker

(Dryobates pubescens)

Get to know the squeaky “rattle call” of this species and you will soon be hearing it all over the neighborhood. These small woodpeckers are common residents of our local woodlands and gardens, but more often heard than seen.

Recorded by Jim Berry on 24 August 2016 in Chautauqua Co., NY.

Eastern Phoebe

(Poecile carolinensis)

Listen for the “phoebe!” song and its subtle variants (pictured) in early March. This is one of the first migratory songbirds to return to our region in the spring. Scientists have shown with experiments that the song is encoded in the bird’s DNA — no learning required!

Recorded by Matthew R. Halley on 28 April 2020 in Philadelphia Co., PA.

American Robin

(Turdus migratorius)

The song of this common species is a series of short, warbled phrases. Robins can only hear up to about 8.7 kHZ — the dark horizontal line in the sonogram — which means that we could make a high-pitched whistle that humans could hear, but robins could not!

Recorded by Matthew R. Halley on 29 April 2020 in Philadelphia Co., PA.

Red-tailed Hawk

(Poecile carolinensis)

The raspy scream of this species will send shivers down your spine! These hawks are often seen soaring over fields, tracing lazy circles in the sky as they search for food—small mammals are their preference. They often perch on telephone poles and other man-made structures. But take note—immature red-tailed hawks do not have red tails!

Recorded by Allen T. Chartier on 24 June 2008 in St. Clair Co., MI.

Carolina Wren

(Thyothorus carolinensis)

The song of this species is a rolling series of emphatic whistled phrases, usually 3 or 4 syllables long each. For example, you might hear it singing something that sounds like “tea kettle, tea kettle!” or “generator! generator!” It is commonly heard in woodlots throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Recorded by Matthew R. Halley on 22 April 2020 in Philadelphia Co., PA.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

(Melanerpes carolinus)

This common species makes a loud “chhrrrrr” call with a slightly rising inflection. They thrive in open woodlands and often come to backyard suet feeders.

Recorded by Christopher McPherson on 20 May 2019 in Hillsborough Co., NH.

Northern Mockingbird

(Thyothorus carolinensis)

This species is so famous for mimicking the songs of other species that is was given the scientific name “polyglottos,” meaning “speaks many languages.” Sometimes, you will hear mockingbirds singing very late at night. This recording was made after midnight!

Recorded by Matthew R. Halley on 5 June 2022 in Chester Co., PA.

Carolina Chickadee

(Poecile carolinensis)

The song of this familiar species at backyard feeders is a series of four sweet whistles, often referred to by the phrase “fee bee fee bay” or, in this case, “fee bay bay bay.”

Recorded by Thomas Magarian on 13 May 2024 in Page Co., VA.

Pine Siskin

(Poecile carolinensis)

This northern species visits Delaware in the winter and prefers open coniferous forest. Its song is a rapid jumble of husky notes. Look for the “streaky” goldfinch at your bird feeder!

Recorded by Stanislas Wroza on 4 June 2025 in Capitale-Nationale, QC, Canada.

Cedar Waxwing

(Bombycilla cedrorum)

The song of this species is a simple series of high-pitched whistles with an irregular rhythm— “sreeee! sreeee!” The fundamental frequency is usually between 6–8 kHZ. This recording provides a great visual example of Ohm’s Law of acoustics: the first overtone is twice the frequency of the fundamental.

Recorded by Valerie Heemstra on 17 August 2023 in Delta Co., MI.

About the contributors

Lew Scharpf, Ph.D.

Lew Scharpf brings expertise in biochemical research, spanning both industry and academia, to his volunteer work here. He is a musician, photographer and avid birder.

Matthew R. Halley, Ph.D.

Matthew Halley is a scientist, historian, and musician whose work spans evolutionary biology, animal behavior, and the history of science. As the museum’s Research Director and Curator of Birds, he oversees the bird collection and conducts specimen-based research using methods ranging from DNA analysis to audio recording.

New subspecies from the Philippines uncovered in the DelMNS bird collection

Hidden in the drawers of the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (DelMNS) are treasures with the power to reshape scientific knowledge. In recent articles published in the Journal of Asian Ornithology, Dr. Matthew R. Halley has used the museum’s specimens to describe two new subspecies of “tailorbirds” (songbirds in the genus Orthotomus) and to correct a long-standing error about the plumage of these elusive rainforest birds.


For decades, field guides have depicted males and females of the Black-headed Tailorbird (Orthotomus nigriceps) and White-eared Tailorbird (Orthotomus cinereiceps) as different in color — a pattern that scientists call “sexual dichromatism.” Males are shown with black throats, and females with white or speckled throats. However, after studying a larger sample of specimens than previous scientists, Halley (2022, 2025) has shown that, in the “definitive” (adult) plumage, males and females both have black throats — these species are not “dichromatic” but “monochromatic.” Time to update the field guides!

Photo of White-eared Tailorbird (Orthotomus cinereiceps obscurior) taken on 2 September 2024 by Jay Paul Campaner Mantuon, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Dr. Matthew Halley in the museum’s bird collection, looking at O. c. lucidus study skins.

Halley has also uncovered the existence of two undescribed subspecies, which were overlooked by former ornithologists. First, in 2022, he showed that Black-headed Tailorbird specimens from the islands of Dinagat and Siargao are paler and brighter than those from nearby Mindanao, then named the divergent lineage Orthotomus nigriceps luminosus. Now, in his 2025 paper, Halley presents evidence of a divergent yellow-bellied population of White-eared Tailorbird from the Sarangani Peninsula in south-central Mindanao, which he names Orthotomus cinereiceps lucidus.


These are not just scientific footnotes. Each new subspecies represents an evolutionary lineage that conservationists can now recognize, study, and protect. And each discovery underscores the unique value of the museum’s collections. Without specimens preserved decades ago — carefully cataloged, cared for, and made available to researchers like Halley — these lineages would have remained invisible.

Figure 3 from Halley (2025). Plumage variation in Orthotomus cinereiceps study skins from Mindanao, showing the “grey phenotype” (O. c. obscurior) and “yellow phenotype” (now O. c. lucidus).

Labels attached to the holotype specimens of Orthotomus nigriceps luminosus (top) and O. cinereiceps lucidus (bottom). Type specimens (denoted by red labels) are designated whenever a new species or subspecies is described, to be the official bearers of the proposed scientific name, and to serve as reference for future studies.

“Many branches of the tree of life are still poorly known, and hidden knowledge is locked away in specimen collections, just waiting to be uncovered,” Halley explains. “We cannot take these invaluable collections for granted. Museums like the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science are committed to their preservation, but we need your help. Even a small donation is an investment in the future of knowledge. This work on Philippine tailorbirds is proof positive of the untapped value of the museum’s collection in this respect, and its continued relevance to science and conservation.”

DONATE: Support the museum’s collections
Read the full paper here

References
Halley, M. R. 2022. A new subspecies of Black-headed Tailorbird Orthotomus nigriceps (Cisticolidae) and clarification of age-related plumage sequences. Journal of Asian Ornithology 38: 129–134. LINK

Halley, M. R. 2025. Plumage variation in White-eared Tailorbird Orthotomus cinereiceps (Cisticolidae) with a description of a new subspecies from Mindanao, Philippines. Journal of Asian Ornithology 41: 51–57. LINK

Learn more about Halley’s work

Explore the Scientific Collections in Our Newest Museum Display

A new exhibit in the Bill & Denise Spence Discovery Gallery features birds and marine mollusks from the museum’s scientific collections, including highlights of the incredible biodiversity of the Philippines as well as research from our scientists. Visitors can discover how natural history collections help scientists study adaptation, biodiversity, and conservation over time.

Interactive questions, specimen tags, and QR codes invite guests of all ages to explore, ask questions, and connect with the science behind the scenes. Whether you are curious about shells, birds, or the work of scientists, this display offers a fascinating glimpse into the natural world and the role museums play in helping us understand it.

In the glass case, birds and mollusks from the Philippines a region made up of more than 7,000 islands and home to countless unique species. Featuring both birds and marine mollusks, the display explores how the islands’ habitats encouraged the evolution of species found nowhere else in the world.

The three drawers each focus on a different story from the collections.

Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis orientalis) DMNH 4276

Phillipine Falconet (Microhierax erythrogenys meridionalis) DMNH 67956

Garden Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis jugularis) DMNH 74824

Purple-throated Sunbird (Leptocoma sperata sperata) DMNH 21532

Pink-necked Green-Pigeon (Treron vernans) DMNH 14909

Brown-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon gularis) DMNH 66512

Luzon Flameback (Chrysocolaptes haematribon) DMNH 66380

Triton (Charonia tritonis) DMNH 3385

Spider Conch (Harpago chiragra) DMNH 2134

Ass’s Ear (Haliotis asinina) DMNH 118539

Helmet Shell (Cassis cornuta) DMNH 233792

Exploring Diversity

For a challenge, compare colorful mollusk shells and discover how their shapes and features help them survive in different environments. Scientists digitize each specimen so its image and data can be shared over the internet, and analyzed all around the world.

1 Spider conch (Harpago chiragra) DMNH 2134
2 Maculated top shell (Trochus maculatus) DMNH 1911
3 Common delphinula (Angaria delphinus) DMNH 156961
4 Strawberry conch (Conomurex luhuanus) DMNH 122445
5 Boring clam (Tridacna crocea) DMNH 238958
6 Orange auger (Oxymeris dimidiata) DMNH 183539
7 Brown murex (Chicoreus brunneus) DMNH 63538
8 Dark-spotted auger (Oxymeris areolata) DMNH 118925
9 Tiger lucine (Codakia tigerina) DMNH 2200
10 Pin shell (Pinna vingata (muricata)) DMNH 59245
11 Cone shell (Conus striatus) DMNH 47117
12 Helmet shell (Cassis cornuta) DMNH 233792
13 Olive shell (Oliva miniacea) DMNH 63504
14 Purple clam (Periglypta puerpera) DMNH 248838
15 Ass’s ear (Haliotis asinina) DMNH 118539
16 Oyster (Lopha cristagalli) DMNH 174627
17 Lynx cowry (Lyncina lynx) DMNH 31303
18 Mud creeper (Cerithium nodulosum) DMNH 235158
19 Silver conch (Lentigo lentiginosus) DMNH 122456
20 Boring clam (Tridacna crocea) DMNH 238958
21 Trapezium horse conch (Pleuroploca trapezium) DMNH 122452
22 Diana conch (Strombus aurisdianae) DMNH 55609
23 Common distorsio (Distorsio anus) DMNH 16491
24 Pimpled nassa (Nassarius papillosus) DMNH 4422
25 Vase shell (Vasum turbinellus) DMNH 15950
26 Gafrarium (Gafrarium pectinatum) DMNH 3670
27 Zigzag venus (Lioconcha castrensis) DMNH 42609

From Accipiter to Astur

In spotlighting DNA research led by Research Director & Curator, Bird Collection Matthew Halley, Ph.D., the exhibit explains the recent reclassification of hawks from the Accipiter genus to Astur, showing how genetic tools are changing our understanding of bird relationships.

American Goshawk (Astur atricapillus) DMNH 85850
Cooper’s Hawk (Astur cooperii) DMNH 85670
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus velox) DMNH 85673

How Birds Become Scientific Specimens

Visitors can also learn how birds are preserved for research, using techniques such as study skins and skeletons that provide long-lasting scientific value. Preserved specimens help scientists compare past and present, identify new species, and answer questions.

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
Study Skins and Spread Wing
1 DMNH P10575 (not catalogued)
2 DMNH P10577 (not catalogued)
3 DMNH 85862

Great Horned Owl(Bubo virginianus)
Skeleton
DMNH 76500

This exhibit is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience.

Behind Every Wing – DelMNS Bird Collection Volunteers

With the help of volunteers and their countless hours of work preserving and researching specimens, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science’s bird collection continues to be a living library of information for future generations. Each volunteer specializes in different tasks to help maintain the bird collection and grow the museum’s knowledge of natural sciences. Tasks include cataloging, researching bird specimens, and rehousing bird eggs.  

Meet Delaware Museum of Nature and Science’s bird collection volunteers, Ginny Schiavelli, Laura Balascio, Lew Scharpf, and Thompson Pizzolato. 

Ginny Schiavelli is the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science’s longest-serving volunteer. She has always loved birds, sparking her initial interest in volunteering in the bird collection. Since her initial interest in the museum’s bird collection, she has volunteered at the museum for about 29 years. During her time at the museum, she has gained experience with many tasks ranging from organizing the Collection and Resources library to rehousing bird egg collections. As a longtime volunteer, she has been able to see the collection of eggs in boxes, organized the way that they have in comparison to previous years when she was helping to organize data with specimens. Outside of volunteering, Ginny is an involved resident at a local retirement home community and an elevator operator. In her free time, she likes to go on bird walks, watch movies, and travel. 

Laura Balascio retired with a background in the pharmaceutical industry, and she enjoys spending her free time at the museum. Her interest in birds started at the age of four when she received a book about birds from her aunt. As her interest in birds grew, she became more fascinated by the museum’s collections of birds and decided to volunteer. As a volunteer, Laura helps to database the bird egg collection. She weighs and documents the information on the eggs in the computer for a digital catalog of the bird egg collection. With the help of her work cataloging information, she says “[people] can go back and see trends and changes in [the specimen].” Outside of volunteering, Laura dedicates her time to other organizations. In her free time, she likes to garden native plants and knit for charity. 

Lew Scharpf retired with a background in biochemistry, and he loves to volunteer to deepen the museum’s knowledge of birds. As a lifelong birder and his love of education, he decided to volunteer at the museum. He studies the role of songs in the behavior of songbirds, specifically in Thrashers. To study songbird vocalization, he reads various literature works, talks to Dr. Matthew Halley (DelMNS Research Director & Curator, Bird Collection), analyzes collection of specimens, enters data in database, and discusses the results with the DelMNS Collections and Resources staff. Lew’s work at the museum highlights how DelMNS specimens are a way for us to learn more about the species that have inhabited the earth because the museum has these specimens in hand and can study them in many different ways. Outside of volunteering, Lew is a musician and an editor in a local magazine. In his free time, he likes to go on bird walks, play ping-pong, and spend time with family.  

Thompson (Tom) Pizzolato retired with a background in plant anatomy, and he enjoys volunteering to further the museum’s contribution to research. Due to his background in plant anatomy, he was interested in the museum’s collection of nests. He decided to volunteer his time to learn more about the plant structures found in the nests. To study the nests, he collects samples from the museum’s nest collection and makes glass slides of the samples to look at them under a microscope at home. After looking at the samples in a microscope, he can identify the plant material. Tom’s work with nests shows the wonder of nature and the variety of nature. Outside of volunteering, Tom spends a lot of quality time with family. He also likes to go for a walk in the woods, identify various types of plants, and read nonfiction books. 

Learn More about Volunteer Opportunities and Get Involved

Article By

Marissa McDine

My name is Marissa McDine and I am the science communication intern at Delaware Museum of Nature and Science funded by Delaware INBRE. I am a student at the University of Delaware majoring in Communications with a concentration in media and a minor in Biology. I previously worked with DelMNS as a Teen Science Café leader and I am excited to help bridge the gap between science and communication. As a Delaware INBRE Science Communication Fellow, I am working on sharing the stories of our scientists, staff, and volunteers while helping to expand community knowledge about the museum’s scientific collections.

DelMNS Interns Preserve Songbird Eggs and History 

With the help of donors and the grant’s reinstatement, work on transferring more than 10,500 clutches of songbird eggs is underway. The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science’s songbird egg collection summer interns are helping to preserve the valuable songbird collection, which holds information about various bird species for future generations to use in research and education. Each intern measures the number of eggs in a clutch and the archival paper to transfer the songbird egg collection into new acid-free, archival boxes.

Meet Delaware Museum of Nature and Science’s songbird egg collection summer interns, Anna Heckscher and Sophia Wackett. 

Anna is a rising junior at Appoquinimink High School who is aspiring to be a veterinarian in the future. One of Anna’s first experiences with animals was bird watching with her father, Dr. Christopher (Kitt) Heckscher, an ornithologist. Due to her interest in animals and experience bird watching, Anna decided to become a summer intern. Through helping with the preservation of songbird eggs, Anna notes the importance of the collection, as “scientists can look back and do studies on them.” Outside of interning, Anna participates in horseback riding, softball, marching band, and Future Farmers of America (FFA). In her free time, Anna enjoys camping, hiking in the mountains, and spending time with family and friends. 

Sophia is a rising sophomore at the University of Delaware in the Honor’s college. She is double majoring in wildlife ecology and conservation as well as insect ecology and conservation. Sophia’s interest in wildlife sparked from the museum’s carcass club, where she experienced birds in a different light. Due to her interest in wildlife and history, Sopia decided to become a summer intern. As an intern, she has been able to “see history that not a lot of other people get to experience.” Outside of interning, Sophia is a member of Epsilon Eta and she works at a local farmer’s market in an aviary. In her free time, Sophia enjoys hiking, being outside, going to the beach, and spending time with friends. 

Learn more about the Songbird Collection

Article by

Marissa McDine

My name is Marissa McDine and I am the science communication intern at Delaware Museum of Nature and Science funded by Delaware INBRE. I am a student at the University of Delaware majoring in Communications with a concentration in media and a minor in Biology. I previously worked with DelMNS as a Teen Science Café leader and I am excited to help bridge the gap between science and communication. As a Delaware INBRE Science Communication Fellow, I am working on sharing the stories of our scientists, staff, and volunteers while helping to expand community knowledge about the museum’s scientific collections.

Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future — But Facing New Challenges

At the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, our collections help tell the story of life on Earth. A significant part of our bird collection includes more than 36,000 bird egg clutches, representing more than 2,000 species from around the world.

Within that larger collection are more than 10,500 clutches of songbird eggs. These fragile specimens are valuable for research and education, helping scientists understand biodiversity, environmental change, and conservation.

In 2024, we were awarded a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to support the long-term preservation of this songbird egg collection. The project was intended to provide funding to purchase archival, acid-free boxes and hire an intern to help us rehouse the eggs. This is an important conservation step to prevent damage from Byne’s disease, a chemical reaction that can harm eggshells over time.

Unfortunately, we learned that our grant — along with many others across the country — was canceled.

This decision was part of a broader action impacting IMLS and many museums and libraries nationwide. We had already purchased the boxes, which are now in production, and were awaiting reimbursement as promised by the terms of the grant. Fortunately, a week after the cancelation, we received the reimbursement from IMLS. While it wasn’t the entire grant amount, we were at least able to receive the funds spent on the project.

While this is a setback, our commitment to caring for our collections has not changed. Preserving these eggs remains a priority for us, and we are exploring how to move this important work forward.

We’re grateful for the many donors who have helped us bridge the gap for this important project. Learn more about the project and why it’s important from Matthew Halley, Ph.D., the museum’s Research Director & Curator, Bird Collection.

Fuzzy coating on the left egg indicates decay from Byne’s disease

Help support the collections

To help us bridge this gap — as well as future conservation challenges — please consider donating to our Collections & Research fund to help protect and preserve these precious specimens for today’s scientists and future generations.

Support the preservation of our scientific collections

We are grateful for your support as we navigate this unexpected challenge. Together, we will continue protecting these irreplaceable specimens for future generations.

Learn more about Collections & Research

6,000 Birds to the Scientific Collections from Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

There are many wildlife rehabilitation centers across the United States that care for sick, orphaned, and injured wildlife with the goal of returning them to the wild once healed. Licensed rehabilitators are highly skilled, but the reality is that not all patients are able to survive their injuries. Vertebrates like birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians are often hit by cars, attacked by pets, and collide with windows.

The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (DelMNS) has a wonderful, long-standing partnership with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research (Tri-State), a local powerhouse in avian rehabilitation serving the Mid-Atlantic region. Tri-State donated their first bird to the museum in 1982, a few years after they opened their full-time clinic — and the partnership has never waned. Over the last 40 years, about 6,000 birds admitted to Tri-State, but that did not survive their ailments — including birds found injured outside of Delaware, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and New York — have been prepared as specimens for the museum’s scientific collections.

Tri-State staff visiting scientific collections, December 2024
Tri-State staff visiting scientific collections, December 2024

Many of the DelMNS specimens donated by Tri-State have fascinating and unique histories. For example, in 2013, a federally-banded American Goshawk (Astur atricapillus) was brought to Tri-State after it was wounded in an altercation with another hawk at Little Creek Wildlife Area, Kent County, Delaware. The museum’s Collections Manager of Birds, Ashley Kempken, learned from the USGS Bird Banding Lab that the goshawk had been banded the previous fall in Cape May, New Jersey, by the Cape May Raptor Banding Project, and was apparently overwintering in Delaware.

In 2022, a Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) was brought to Tri-State after it was found on the beach at Fenwick Island, Sussex County, Delaware, but soon succumbed to its illness. This was Delaware’s first state record and the first specimen of this species from the northeastern United States. The study skin, spread wing, frozen tissues, and parasites (feather lice) are now preserved in the museum’s scientific collection and available to researchers (Halley, 2022). Thanks to our historic partnership with Tri-State, sick and injured birds that were unable to return to the wild are given a second “life” in the DelMNS collection, where they provide benefits to science and education.

“Tri-State Bird Rescue is deeply grateful for the incredible long-standing partnership with the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science,” says Autumn Reiter, Executive Director, Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research. “This collaboration has been instrumental in advancing our shared mission of wildlife conservation. Together, we have made significant strides in bird rescue and rehabilitation as well as public education, teaching a diverse audience about the integral role birds play in the ecosystem. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the museum for their unwavering support, commitment, and dedication over the years, and we look forward to continuing this vital partnership for many more years to come.”

Tri-State staff visiting scientific collections, December 2024
Tri-State staff visiting scientific collections, December 2024

Halley, M. R. 2022. Comments on the first specimen of Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) from the northeastern United States: a Delaware state record. Delaware Ornithologist 51: 9–11.

Explore the Collections

The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science is an active, growing, mid-Atlantic repository for specimens collected around the world. With over 2.3 million individual shells in the mollusk collection, more than 116,000 birds from around the world, and other invertebrate, vertebrate, and paleontological specimens, the scientific collections preserve an incredible biodiversity record with specimens collected as early as 1859.

Ongoing, ethical scientific collecting is critical to documenting and understanding the Earth’s biodiversity. Morphological and genetic data derived from collections provide a baseline to examine changes in species distributions over time, and to study the effects of invasive species, habitat loss, trophic structure, and climate change. Specimens are also critical resources for basic research on disease vectors and host-parasite relationships.

Search the collections

The collections are publicly accessible online via several data aggregators. Our institution code is DMNH.

Mollusks

Birds

Geographic Diversity

Staff and volunteers have georeferenced more than half the collection records. This heat map below provides an estimate of georeferenced records in the DelMNS collection, as retrieved through GBIF.org. Colored hexagons indicate approximately how many specimens were collected in the given region (yellow, n = 100; orange, n = 1,000; red, n = 10,000).

Taxonomic Diversity

Breakout by Major Avian Taxon

The bird collection contains roughly 75% songbirds with sizeable collections representing other major taxa. Only the 10 largest bird orders at DelMNS are included in this figure.

Breakout by Major Mollusca Taxon

The mollusk collection is roughly 75% gastropods and 25% bivalves, with small collections of other major taxa. The 234,000 lots represent more than 18,000 species.

That belongs in a museum!

Does your research or surveys involve collecting? Have you thought of a home for any specimens your work may generate? A museum is the perfect place for the long-term storage of specimens used in scientific research. It ensures that future generations will be able to access the same specimens for verification, reproducibility of experiments, and as a resource to answer any future, unforeseen questions. We are actively adding locally-collected vouchers to the Bird, Mammal, Mollusk, Paleontology, and Entomology collections.

Vouchering for Science