A unique resource

With its potentially damaging effects on birdlife, and particularly rare species, it is illegal to collect or sell wild birds’ eggs, or to possess one that was collected illegally. But collections held by museums are playing a pivotal role in modern science. “The NHM has more than a million eggs of approximately 4,700 species, more than any other museum worldwide, but we still know nothing, or very little, about the breeding of thousands of bird species,” says Douglas. “Interest in egg collections has increased with advances in techniques for studying shell structure and appearance. “The NHM’s collections are immensely important to current ornithology and conservation, and a huge part of studying the history of natural history and breeding populations past and present. “For example, our oldest datable bird’s egg was collected in 1807, at Bass Rock in Scotland, by the naturalist William Bullock, and provides a unique insight into the gannet population of the UK more than two centuries ago. Our collections are highly valued by researchers studying the many unanswered questions about the biology of eggs. “If someone has an old egg collection they have inherited, with information about when and where the eggs were collected, they can contact the NHM for advice on whether this might help in modern research.”