Birds Collection

Collection Statistics

The birds collection totals 2,100 specimens. The primary geographic area of representation is the western Edwards Plateau of Texas. A minor collection from Guyana, South America, is also present.

The collection was began in 1968 and remained relatively small for 20 years. Within the last decade, collection organization has formalized and rate of specimen addition has accelerated. A significant portion (about 35 percent) of the collection is of teaching material (much from zoology gardens). Since the collection’s inception, the curator has been Dr. Terry C. Maxwell.

The main function of the birds collection is teaching, although research-quality data with specimens is available and has contributed to published ornithology.

Specimens are available for examination in the collection area. Request for visitation should precede a trip to the university as staffing and hours are irregular. Specimens can be sent on loan, usually not to exceed 60 days without justification.

Database

Data for specimens in the collection of birds is entered in a “Specify” database. Selected information from the database is searchable through our Web interface. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of catalogue information, researchers should verify information before use or publication. For additional information not provided through the searchable Web interface, or if you have questions, please contact the curator.

Curator of Birds Collection

Dr. Maxwell received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in wildlife science from Texas A&M University and a M.S. degree in biology from ASU. His lifelong interest in birds has involved extensive field collection and bird community descriptions in South America (Ecuador, Peru and Guyana), Alaska and Texas. He has conducted field collections of mammals in El Salvador, Honduras and the Yucatan of Mexico. Currently, he serves on the Texas Bird Records Committee of the Texas Ornithology Society.

At ASU, the advanced-level courses he teaches include: ornithology, vertebrate zoology, biogeography and natural history of the Concho Valley. He has taught bird ecology at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station at Lake Texoma.

Maxwell has also directed thesis research for numerous graduate students. Recent student research has included karyotypic description of North American wrens, behavioral ecology of Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, foraging behavior of Vermillion Flycatchers and wintering shorebirds, and structure of neotropical migrant breeding bird communities.

Recent Publications

• Minzenmayer, S.M, T.C. Maxwell, and R.C. Dowler. 1995. Karyotypes of Seven Species of North American Wrens (Passeriformes: Troglodytidae). Texas Journal of Science 47(4):269-276.
• Maxwell, T.C. 1996. Catalog of Vertebrates of the Concho Valley Region of Texas. Wm.C. Brown Publ., Dubuque Iowa. vi + 111 pp.
• Boyd, R.A., R.C. Dowler and T.C. Maxwell. 1997. The Mammals of Tom Green County, Texas. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
• Husak, M.S. and T.C. Maxwell. 1998. Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons). In. The Birds of North America, No. 373 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
• Dowler, R.C., R.C. Dawkins and T.C. Maxwell. 1999. Range Extensions for the Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) in West Texas. Texas Journal of Science 51(2):193-196.
• Maxwell, T.C. and M.S. Husak. 1999. Common Black-Hawk Nesting in West-Central Texas. Jour. Raptor Research 33(3):270-271.
• Husak, M.S. and T.C. Maxwell. 2000. A Review of 20th Century Range Expansion and Population Trends of the Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons): Historical and Ecological Perspectives. Texas Journal of Science 52(4):275-284.