Terns (Sterninae) in the collection of the Slovenian Museum of Natural History

Abstract

Abstract The catalogue presents the data on all specimens of terns (Sterninae) that have been inventoried into the ornithological collection of the Slovenian Museum of Natural History (PMS). The catalogue includes data on preserved as well as lost specimens. The data have been collected from all inventory books at hand in the Slovenian Museum of Natural History. By the end of 2019, 66 different specimens of eight tern species have been recorded in the ornithological collection, of which 56 specimens are still preserved. Most specimens were collected in the 1940–1970 period. The largest number of specimens concerns the Black Tern Chlidonias niger and Common Tern Sterna hirundo. Among the collected terns, the specimens found in Slovenia predominate. Five specimens originate from other countries, specifically Eritrea, Oman, Serbia and Croatia.