The Bailey-Law Ornithology Collections total almost 20,000 specimens and is completely cataloged. The bird collections consist of over 18,000 identified study skins stored in cabinets at the Museum in the zoological collections area. There are also 1200 egg sets, identified by A.O.U. number. Most of the specimens date from 1870-1940, having come to the University in 1982 through a bequest from the Bailey family of Rockbridge County, Virginia. Mr. Bailey was a well-known naturalist in the early part of the 20th Century. The collection grew through his own (legal at that time) collecting, trading, and purchases from dealers. After Mr. Bailey's death in 1963, Mrs. Bailey added the collection of her late husband J.E. Law to the Bailey collection. Another large block of specimens, of approximately the same age, came from the collection of Professor E.A. Smyth Jr. of VPI&SU who left his collection to the University when he retired. More recent additions to the collection have come almost entirely from salvaged material, rather than active collecting efforts.

The holdings include representatives from almost 85% of the bird families worldwide, making them a valuable resource for teaching and professional training in addition to their research and historical importance. Most extinct and endangered bird species of North America are also represented.

Particular strengths of the collection include birds of the southwestern and southeastern United States: Florida, Georgia, The Los Angeles Basin of California, and the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona are especially well represented.

Current ornithology research projects include: Systematic biology of Red Crossbills and other Cardueline Finches. The behavioral ecology of Blue Jays.

Since the specimens were moved from storage to the museum in 1990, many improvements in their care and accessibility have been made. A conservation assessment was conducted in 1992 to determine the state of preservation of the collection and help identify priorities for ongoing collection care efforts.

The entire collection is now cataloged, the cabinet-level storage has been upgraded, location keys to assist in finding specimens have been developed, and the collections are included in the Museum's environmental and pest management systems. Study space for the examination of specimens is now available in the zoological collections area, and, overall, researchers should find the collection markedly easier to work with than in the past.

Curator: Dr. Curtis S. Adkisson, Department of Biology