wing macro

Ornithology

Specific research strengths include phylogeny, taxonomy, distribution and diversity, genetics and genomics, morphology, conservation, and behavior. The KU Ornithology team includes faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, research affiliates, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

Research

Research in Ornithology is quite broad, including studies of phylogeny, phylogeography, genomics, distribution, diversity, ecology, and conservation of birds.

three researchers examining a collection tray of colorful, varied bird species

Collections

The Ornithology collections include more than 120,000 specimens, many with rich data and high-quality frozen tissue samples. We have a global program of avian inventories, with recent sampling trips to Liberia, Solomon Islands, Mexico, Cameroon, Papua New Guinea, and many other countries.

two eggs on a tray