The Conti bird collection : new additions to the national ornithological collections at the National Museum of Natural History, Mdina, Malta

Abstract

This study highlights recent additions to the national ornithological collections at the National Museum of Natural History, Mdina, Malta, originating from the historically and scientifically significant collection of the ornithologist Themistocles ‘Temi’ CONTI. An overview of the collection’s history is provided together with an annotated checklist of the 34 taxidermized birds, highlighting notable specimens such as the Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris Viellot, 1817, and the Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva (Gmelin, 1789). The importance of consolidating and curating the collection for scientific research and national heritage is emphasized.