Osteology collection

The collection includes 70 bird skulls and skeletons including examples of extinct species such as the Dodo and Great Auk, the British bird skeletons are often used to help identify birds in archaeological excavations in the north-west and the Isle of Man.

A major component of the collection are the mammals presented by Guy Otter in 1961 which belonged to Sir Edmund Loder and number around 200 skulls and skeletons. A number of the game heads from the Otter collection are featured in Rowland Ward’s Records of Big Game.

Our collection of British Osteology is available for exploring online at the NBN Atlas and GBIF. 

Our collection of Global Osteology is available for exploring online at the NBN Atlas and GBIF. 

Bone identification enquiries

If you have found an interesting bone or animal fossil please consult the Natural History Museum’s ‘Identifying Nature’ site which includes guides to common animals, plants, rocks and bones found in the UK. The webpage also has contact emails for the Natural History Museum’s Identification and Advisory Service.