No one likes to see a dead bird. It’s upsetting, sad, and uncomfortable. Whether it be from window collisions, poisoning, or getting hit by a car, a dead bird can cause a multitude of emotions, especially for birders. However, when a bird dies, it’s not necessarily a definitive ending, but a chance for a new beginning.
That’s where the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors (CBCM) and the Field Museum come in.
Several taxidermy birds, part of the Field Museum’s vast collection. Can you identify each bird?
When the CBCM finds dead birds, referred to as salvages, they deliver them to the Field Museum to be preserved and studied by their Ornithology Department. There are over 500,000 bird specimens from around the world in the Field Museum’s collection, with about 1,000 on public display in the Ronald and Christina Gidwitz Hall of Birds, located on the museum’s first floor. The collection itself represents 90% of all known birds and is the third largest collection in the United States.
However, most of the specimens are located behind the scenes on the museum’s third floor in the Ellen Thorne Smith Bird & Mammal Study Center. This part of the Field Museum is rarely seen by guests, except during special events like the museum’s Annual Members’ Nights. During Members’ Night, the Ornithology Department happily shares with members, from dedicated birders to museum lovers, the process and steps taken to preserve the bodies of salvaged birds and prepare them for storage and future study in the collection, as well as the importance of cataloging to learn more about birds and discover solutions to help them in the future.
Ben Marks, Collections Manager of Birds at the Field Museum, demonstrates how to prepare several dead birds for the collection during the museum’s 73rd Annual Members’ Night this past May, accompanied by a taxidermy of a black-legged seriema.
About 9,000 salvaged birds are brought to the Field Museum each year, 95% of which are local to Chicago. It takes roughly 3-4 hours to prepare a bird for the collection, ensuring that it will be properly researched and displayed as it would have been in life. This process includes removing the intestines and adding stuffing in their place, allowing the body to retain accurate dimensions.
In addition to taxidermies, bird skeletons are also part of the collection. This is done through the Field Museum’s colony of flesh-eating beetles, which will strip a bird's flesh right down to the bone.
Taxidermy of a duckling, part of the Field Museum’s collection. Baby birds are rarely added to the collection; adult birds are preferred due to greater scientific and historical value.
The Field Museum accepts all salvaged birds for the collection, whether they’re brought in by concerned residents, birders, or volunteers of the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. When it comes to volunteering for the CBCM, training takes roughly a year. There are 16 weeks dedicated to training in the spring and fall due to the high period of bird activity during those two seasons. It can be a very nerve-racking task, but if you're passionate about birds, want to help them during migration, and want to advocate for a more bird-friendly Chicago, joining the CBCM is a great way to get involved.
Dave Willard, former Collections Manager of Birds at the Field Museum, overlooking the bodies of birds that struck McCormick Place back in October 2023. Since retiring, Dave continues to volunteer and bring salvaged birds from McCormick Place to the museum.
Thanks to the passionate ornithologists at the Field Museum, the inspiring volunteers of the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, and the citizens of Chicagoland, salvaged birds can be preserved for future generations to observe and learn from when it comes to understanding and advocating for birds.
If you find a dead bird and want to donate it to the Field Museum’s collection, call the CBCM at (773) 988-1867 to report the salvage and its exact location. They may ask you to retrieve the body, store it in a ziploc bag, and place it in the freezer to prevent the body from decaying, along with a note that includes your name, the date the salvage was found, and the location where you found the salvage. After that, the CBCM will stop by and pick up the salvage, taking it directly to the Field Museum. Note that the CBCM will not respond to text messages.
Alternatively, you can retrieve a salvaged bird on your own while still following the above steps and by messaging the Field Museum’s Bird Division to arrange for the salvage to be dropped off at the museum. If you’re unable to call the CBCM or freeze a salvaged bird and deliver it to the Field Museum, or if the body has decayed too quickly to be salvaged, contact your local wildlife center or county district for further instructions.
Sources
https://www.birdmonitors.net/index.php
https://birdmonitors.net/Salvage.php
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/activity/birds-community-science
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/collection/bird-specimen-collection
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/department/birds
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/exhibitions/ronald-and-christina-gidwitz-hall-birds