The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has over 600,000 bird specimensThe collection dates back to 1817 and specimens are still being added today. Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has one of the biggest bird collections in the world, housing over 600,000 specimens, from ducks to eagles to peacocks. The collection was created over 200 years ago and is still being added to today. But why does the museum still need more and more specimens? Research and wildlife management, notably reducing the amount of bird strikes.

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