The Secret World of Museum Science

From feather forensics to digging up dodos, discover what goes on behind the scenes in our amazing bird research collections in this fascinating exhibition. Explore the way in which long-dead Museum specimens can spark brand new discoveries and be surprised by our scientists and their stories.

The exhibition showcases some rarely seen specimens from the world-class collection cared for at Tring and explains their importance to the scientific community. Specimens include:

- rare composite dodo skeleton

- blue lorikeet collected on one of Captain Cook's voyages between 1768 and 1779

- large-billed reed warbler whose DNA was used in 2002 to confirm a new species had been discovered

- peregrine falcon egg similar to the ones used to explain the dramatic decline of the species back in the 1960s

Through displays, games, video footage and these incredible specimens, you can find out how the collections are stored and who uses them. And discover how new science and technology helps researchers unearth more enthralling secrets.

Photo:

Marvel at this Rockhopper penguin specimen on display in our new exhibition. Numbers of Rockhoppers in the south polar oceans are dropping, so scientists are analysing feather samples from our historic specimens comparing them with feathers from live birds today.