Extinct and endangered (‘E&E’) birds in the ornithological collections of the Musée de la Vallée, Barcelonnette, France, with comments on a Siberian Crane Leucogeranus leucogeranus egg

Abstract

Summary. The Musée de la Vallée in Barcelonnette, France, houses two privately assembled ornithological collections totalling 1,405 mounted birds and 1,686 eggs, mostly from the 19th century. According to the current IUCN Red List of threatened species, the mounts and eggs represent 36 and 18 extinct or endangered (‘E&E’) bird species, respectively. This article concentrates on the specimens of ‘E&E’ species that deserve special curatorial care. The list includes one extinct and six threatened species. Special mention is made of a Siberian Crane Leucogeranus leucogeranus egg that is apparently one of the oldest of this species in the world’s collections. In addition to IUCN status, the EDGE score of each species is also specified.