★ With 220 colour illustrations.
★ Fascinating insights into zoological research.
★ An exciting tour of the ornithological collections of various museums, many of which are not accessible to the public
★ A look behind the scenes in the world of ornithology which brings ornithological research and the history of science to life
★ Personal and entertaining portraits of selected exhibits tell the story of researchers, explorers and some particularly odd birds

Although the number of plant and animal species is shrinking at an alarming rate, there are still places where we can see an amazing diversity of species: museums of natural history, as archives of biological diversity with thousands of living and extinct species, are unique treasuries, not least because of their high scientific value. In this book, award-winning photographer Klaus Nigge and ornithologist Karl Schulze-Hagen document five famous ornithological collections and invite the reader to take part in an unusual excursion into the world of museum birds, with Humboldt’s parrot looking over our shoulders…

Dr. Karl Schulze-Hagen
Biologist, physician. He spent many years studying the reproductive habits of songbirds and cuckoos and conducts research into the history of ornithology, where it is the often eccentric and empassioned personalities to whom he devotes particular attention. The result of his wide-ranging studies: almost 100 publications and six books, including Die Vogel-WG.

Klaus Nigge
He studied philosophy and art, was President of the German Society for Nature Photography and since 1995, has worked as a freelance photojournalist, for example for National Geographic, GEO and other international magazines. He documents often charismatic animal species in their natural habitats and the problems of nature and species conservation.