Bird skull collection

Welcome to Skullsite.com. On this site you will find an enormous amount of information about bird skulls and anatomy of species from the Western Palearctic and other areas from all over the world.

Quick search for skull:


Enter a (part of the) name of a bird (e.g. buzzard)

Update July 2010


Shoebilled stork, Balaeniceps rex
In July, we added many new photographs. More than 230 species as well as 30 new families were added to the database. You can check out the latest updates by visiting the What's New section.

New: Detailed 3D views with high resolution images of bird skulls

Photosynth is a software application from Microsoft Live Labs and the University of Washington that analyzes digital photographs and generates a three-dimensional model of the photos and a point cloud of a photographed object. We generated several 3D models of (bird) skulls using this software tool.

Requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin

Bird skull Quiz

quiz New: Test your knowlegde on bird and skull anatomy by answering 20 questions....

Bird skull photographs

An amount of appr. 1200 skulls can be found in the database, most of which have been photographed. Go to the skull database seach page to view more pictures


Example of pictures in database: Lophura leucomelanos (Kalij Pheasant); side-, top-, and bottom view

cleaning tutorial

Learn all about cleaning skulls and skeletons by maceration. Click here for a comprehensive tutorial

Determination

On the determination page you can identify skulls on the basis of morphological characteristics such as bill shape and skull dimensions...

3D models of bird skeletons


black woodpecker skeleton

3-D rotating skeletons of a Greater Rhea, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Common Buzzard, Northern Goshawk, common swift, Crossbill, Moorhen, Curlew, Tawny owl, Fulmar, Black woodpecker, Congo peafowl, Griffon vulture, Hyacinth macaw, Maguari stork, Papua hornbill. Many more to come.


Search the database

To search for specific birds, use our skull database search page. It is possible to search for dutch, english, french, spanish, german and scientific names.


Skeleton of griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus)
(Click on image to enlarge)

For a complete overview of specimens in our collection you can view the scientific list.

Contact us

Please contact us via email:

Jan Jansen
Wouter van Gestel

(Conservators EDC / WUR)



Phoenicopterus ruber
(Greater Flamingo)

Index of bird orders and families

Anseriformes Anseriformes
 Anhimidae  screamers,   hoenderkoeten   Anatidae  swans, geese and ducks,   zwanen, ganzen, eenden 
Apodiformes Apodiformes
 Trochilidae  hummingbirds,   kolibries   Apodidae  swifts,   gierzwaluwen   Hemiprocnidae  Treeswifts,   Boomgierzwaluwen 
Apterygiformes Apterygiformes
 Apterygidae  kiwis,   kiwi's 
Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
 Aegothelidae  owlet-nightjars,   dwergnachtzwaluwen   Podargidae  frogmouths,   uilnachtzwaluwen   Eurostopodidae  Eared-nightjars,      Caprimulgidae  nightjars, nighthawks,   nachtzwaluwen   Nyctibiidae  potoos,   Reuzennachtzwaluwen   Steatornithidae  Oilbird,   Vetvogel 
Casuariiformes Casuariiformes
 Casuariidae  cassowary,   kasuarissen   Dromaiidae  emu,   emoe 
Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
 Glareolidae  pratincoles coursers Egyptian Plover,   vorkstaartplevieren, renvogels, krokodilwachters   Dromadidae  Crab-plover,   Krabplevier   Scolopacidae  Curlews, Sandpipers, Godwits, Dowitchers, Snipe and woodcocks, Phalaropes, Shanks and tattlers, Calidrids and turnstones,   Wulpen, grutto's, ruiters, oeverlopers, strandlopers, franjepoten, snippen   Charadriidae  plovers, dotterels, lapwings,   plevieren, kieviten   Rostratulidae  painted snipes,   goudsnippen   Recurvirostridae  avocets, stilts,   kluut, steltkluut   Phalaropodiae  phalaropes,   Franjepoten   Burhinidae  Stone-curlews,   Grielen   Sternidae  terns,   sterns   Laridae  gulls,   meeuwen   Chionididae  Sheathbills,   IJshoenders   Alcidae  auks,   alken   Jacanidae  jacanas,   jacana's   Haematopodidae  oystercatchers ,   scholeksters   Rynchopidae  Skimmers,   Schaarbekken   Stercorariidae  Skuas,   (Grote) Jagers 
Ciconiiformes Ciconiiformes
 Ardeidae  herons, egrets, bitterns,   reigers, kwakken, woudaapjes, roerdompen   Balaenicipitidae  Shoebill,   Schoenbekooievaar   Scopidae  Hammerkop,   Hamerkop   Threskiornithidae  ibises, spoonbills,   ibissen, lepelaars   Ciconiidae  storks,   ooievaars 
Coliiformes Coliiformes
 Coliidae  mousebirds,   muisvogels 
Columbiformes Columbiformes
 Raphidae  Didines,   Dodo's   Columbidae  pigions, doves,   duiven (duif-achtigen) 
Coraciiformes Coraciiformes
 Coraciidae  rollers,   scharrelaars   Momotidae  motmots,   motmots   Bucerotidae  (ground) hornbills,   neushoornvogels, hoornraaf   Upupidae  Hoopoe,   Hoppen   Alcedinidae  River kingfishers,   IJsvogels   Leptosomidae  Cuckoo Roller,   Koerol   Phoeniculidae  woodhoopoes, scimitars,   kakelaars, boomhoppen   Todidae  Tody,   Todies   Meropidae  bee-eaters,   bijeneters   Brachypteraciidae  Ground-rollers,   Grondscharrelaars 
Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
 Musophagidae  turacos, plantain-eaters, go-away-birds,   toerako's   Cuculidae  cuckoos,   koekoeken 
Falconiformes Falconiformes
 Cathartidae  New World vultures, condor,   gieren van de nieuwe wereld, condors   Pandionidae  osprey,   visarend   Accipitridae  ,   Havikachtigen   Falconidae  falcons and caracara's,   valken, caracara's   Sagittariidae  Secretary birds,   Secretarisvogels 
Galliformes Galliformes
 Tetraonidae  grouse, capercaillie, Prairie-Chickens,   Ruigpoothoenders, sneeuwhoenders, korhoenders, auerhoenders, prairiehoenders   Odontophoridae  New World quail,   Amerikaanse kwartels   Megapodiidae  Megapodes or incubator birds or mound-builders,   Grootpoothoenders   Phasianidae  pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, quail, peafowl,   fazanten, kwartels, patrijzen, pauwen   Meleagridae  turkey,   kalkoen   Numididae  guineafowl,   parelhoenders   Cracidae  chachalacas, guans, curassows,   sjakohoenders, hokko's 
Gaviiformes Gaviiformes
 Gaviidae  divers, loons,   duikers 
Gruiformes Gruiformes
 Gruidae  cranes,   kraanvogels   Mesitornithidae  Mesites ,   Steltrallen   Aramidae  limpkin,   koerlan   Heliornithidae  ,   Fuutkoeten   Psophidae  trumpeters,   trompetvogels   Eurypygidae  sunbittern,   zonneral   Rallidae  rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules,   rallen, koeten, bleshoenders   Turnicidae  buttonquail,   vechtkwartels   Otidae  bustards,   trappen   Rhynochetidae  Kagu,   Kagoe   Cariamidae  seriemas,   seriema's 
Opisthocomiformes Opisthocomiformes
 Opisthocomidae  hoatzin,   hoatzin 
Passeriformes Passeriformes
 Pittidae  pittas,   pitta's   Muscicapidae  Old World flycatchers,   vliegenvangers   Dicruridae  drongos,   drongo's   Regulidae  kinglets or crests,   Goudhaantjes   Corviidae  crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers,   kraaien, roeken, raven, kauwen, gaaien, eksters, notenkrakers   Conopophagidae  Gnateaters,   Muggeneters   Paradisaeidae  birds of paradise,   paradijsvogels   Irenidae  fairy-bluebirds,   bladvogels   Parulidae  New World warblers,   Amerikaanse zangers   Passeridae  Old World sparrows,   mussen   Aegithalidae  Long-tailed tits,   staartmezen   Vangidae  Vanga,   Vanga's   Estrildidae  Estrildid Finches,   prachtvinken   Troglodytidae  wrens,   winterkoningen   Dicaeidae  flowerpeckers,   bastaardhoningvogels   Motacillidae  pipits, wagtails, longclaws,   kwikstaarten, piepers   Vireonidae  vireos,   vireo's   Sylviidae  sylviid warblers or true warblers,   zangers van de Oude Wereld   Certhiidae  treecreepers,   boomkruipers   Remizidae  Penduline tits,   Buidelmezen   Mimidae  thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers,   spotlijsters   Chloropseidae  Leafbirds,   Bladvogels   Pipridae  manakins,   manakins   Paridae  tits, chickadees,   mezen   Cardinalidae  Cardinals,   Kardinalen   Rhinocryptidae  tapaculos ,   Tapaculo's   Emberizidae  buntings,   gors, gorzen   Timalidae  babblers,   timalia's   Campephagidae  cuckoo-shrike,   rupsvogels   Monarchidae  Monarch flycatchers,   Monarchen en waaierstaartvliegenvangers   Paradoxornithidae  Parrotbills,   Diksnavelmezen   Pycnonotidae  bulbuls,   buulbuuls   Bombycillidae  waxwings,   pestvogels   Picathartidae  rockfowl or bald crows,   Kaalkopkraaien   Tyrannidae  tyrant flycatchers,   tirannen   Hirundinidae  swallows, martins,   zwaluwen   Ptilonorhynchidae  bowerbirds, catbirds,   prieelvogels   Pachycephalidae  whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis, Crested Bellbird,   dikkoppen, fluiters   Turdidae  thrushes,   lijsters   Tichodromadidae  Wallcreeper,   Rotskuiper   Sturnidae  starlings,   spreeuwen   Thraupidae  tanagers,   tanagers   Zosteropidae  white-eyes,   brilvogels   Melliphagidae  honeyeaters,   honingeters   Cotingidae  cotingas, cock-of-the-rocks,   cotinga's, rotshaan   Prunellidae  accentors,   heggenmussen   Alaudidae  larks,   leeuwerikken   Menuridae  Lyrebird,   Liervogel   Icteriidae  icterids,   troepialen   Fringillidae  true finches,   vinken   Artamidae  woodswallows, butcherbirds,   spitsvogels   Oriolidae  ,   wielewalen, vijgvogels   Grallinidae  ,   moddervogels   Sittidae  nuthatches,   boomklevers   Cracticidae  woodswallows, butcherbirds,   fluitvogels, orgelvogels, klauwierkraaien   Dendrocolaptidae  Woodcreepers,   Muisspechten   Cisticolidae  ,      Laniidae  shrikes,   klauwieren   Furnariidae  ovenbirds,   ovenvogels   Ploceidae  weavers,   wevers   Aegithinidae  loras,   lora's   Promeropidae  Sugarbirds,   Afrikaanse suikervogels   Eurilaimidae  Broadbill,   Breedbekken en hapvogels   Nectariniidae  sunbirds, spiderhunters,   honingzuigers 
Pelecaniformes Pelecaniformes
 Phalacrocoracidae  cormorants, shags,   aalscholvers   Pelecanidae  pelicans,   pelikanen   Phaethontidae  Tropicbirds,   Keerkringvogels   Anhingidae  darters,   slangenhalsvogels   Fregatidae  frigatebirds,   fregatvogels   Sulidae  gannets, boobies,   genten 
Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteriformes
 Phoenicopteridae  flamingo's,   flamingo's 
Piciformes Piciformes
 Picidae  woodpeckers,   spechten   Capitonidae  American barbets,   baardvogels   Indicatoridae  Honeyguides,   Honingspeurders   Ramphastidae  toucans,   toekans 
Podicipediformes Podicipediformes
 Podicipedidae  grebes,   futen 
Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
 Hydrobatidae  storm-petrels,   stormvogeltjes   Procellariidae  petrels, prions, shearwaters.,   stormvogels en pijlstormvogels   Pelecanoidae  pelicans,   pelikanen   Diomedeidae  albatrosses,   albatrossen 
Psittaciformes Psittaciformes
 Psittacidae  true parrots, parakeets, macaws,   papegaaien, parkieten, ara's   Cacatuidae  cockatoos,   kaketoes   Strigopidae  New Zealand parrots,   Nieuw Zeeland papegaaien 
Pteroclidiformes Pteroclidiformes
 Pteroclididae  sandgrouse,   zandhoenders 
Rheiformes Rheiformes
 Rheidae  rhea,   nandoe 
Sphenisciformes Sphenisciformes
 Spheniscidae  penguins,   pinguins 
Strigiformes Strigiformes
 Tytonidae  barn-owls,   kerkuilen   Strigidae  owls,   uilen 
Struthioniformes Struthioniformes
 Struthionidae  ostrich,   struisvogel 
Tinamiformes Tinamiformes
 Tinamidae  tinamou,   tinamoes 
Trogoniformes Trogoniformes
 Trogonidae  trogons,   trogons 


Klik hier voor een Nederlandse versie van deze pagina.


No part of this website can be copied without previous permission of the webmaster

Disclaimer

No bird has been killed to get its skull or skeleton for this collection. All wild birds died of natural causes or accidental, and in a few cases due to legal hunting by others, or died in captivity. The Experimental Zoology Group of Wageningen University has been authorized by the Dutch authorities to own protected European birds after their death. The permit nr is: FEF 27/06/2/98/0051. The Wageningen University also has a CITES exemption, nr NL004.
Who wants to keep (part of) a found bird should inform oneself about the local laws on bird protection.

 

 

Ai