Unlocking avian adaptations: Morphometric study of preserved bird specimens at St. Xavier’s College Zoology Museum

This study presents a morphometric analysis of nine-decade-old avian specimens preserved in the Zoology Museum of St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, India.Due to the conservation of birds, legal restrictions, and logistical challenges preventing the collection of new bird specimens, these historical collections are invaluable for understanding avian morphology, diversity, and adaptations.However, due to the age and fragility of these specimens, there is a risk of irreversible data loss are not thoroughly documented, and preservation challenges make it difficult to maintain their condition indefinitely.Using morphometric measurements of Head, Beak, Body, Wing, and Leg structures (Head Length (HL), Head Width (HW), Head Height (HH), Body Length (BL), Body Width (BW) Eye Length (EL), Eye Width (EW), Beak Length (BeL), Upper Jaw (UJ), Lower Jaw (LJ), Upper Beak Nostril (UBN), Lower Beak Nostril (LBN), Start Beak Height (SBH), Middle Beak Height (MBH), Edge Beak Height (EBH),Wing Length (WL),Wing Width (WW), Neck Length (NL), Neck Throat (NT)).In this study, we analyzed (32) avian specimens including (25) families, and eleven male and eight female birds; other we couldn't identify the sex of museum specimens, due to the loss of feathers and body parts.By cataloguing these specimens now, this study preserves critical biological data, offering a lasting resource for future researchers, ornithologists, and conservationists.