Ornithological collection of the Fauna’s Museum of Messina University

Abstract. The present study aims to present the ornithological collection acquired by the Museum of the Fauna of the University of Messina. In the last two years, three important collections have been acquired, including one paleontological and two zoological, mainly consist of birds, reptiles and some small mammals. Current ornithological collection originates from a portion of private ornithological collection and from materials previously kept in storage at Civic Museum of Natural Sciences of Faenza. Current collection includes 348 natural finds of whom 273 subjects naturalized and 75 dry-preserved. It include bones, feathers, eggs, nests and bird pellets belonging to 14 orders, 42 families and 126 species.