Second day in London, we visited the Natural History Museum. I was curious to know this famous place, so important in the history of Zoology.

   

 

 

 

I wanted to see, mainly, the extinct birds that are naturalized here. This is the Dodo, a bizarre bird extinct in 1681.

 

and his skeleton

 

 

This is the Great Auk, a seabird with a penguin look, extinct in 1844.

 

 

And the american Passenger Pigeon. Once upon a time it was one of the more abundant birds of North America, but became extinct because of hunting, in 1914.

 

The Huia, an endemic bird of New Zealand, extinct in the early 20th century as a result of hunting and habitat destruction.

 

This is a pair of Ivory-billed Woodpecker, thought extinct but recently rediscovered alive in Arkansas.

 

And the Carolina Parakeet, exctint in 1914.

 

But also there are more interesting things, like this showcase of Hummingbirds, donated to the Museum by its owner in the XIXth century.

 

and a peculiar collection of albino birds, among whose higlights this Puffin.

 

 

 

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