Bird specimens from Montenegro in the Natural History Museum Vienna

The ornithological collection of the Natural History Museum in Vienna (NHMW), established in 1793 at the Hofburg, provides valuable evidence of the early development of ornithological science in Montenegro. Examination of the collections and associated documentation revealed 94 taxa collected in Montenegro, represented by a total of 776 specimens: 206 skins, 11 mounts, 13 osteological specimens and 546 egg specimens. The egg material originates from Dr Othmar Reiser’s oological collection and is published here for the first time. Most specimens (43) belong to Eastern Black-eared Wheatear ( Oenanthe melanoleuca (Güldenstädt, 1776)), while the majority of collected eggs (159) originate from the Short-toed Lark ( Calandrella brachydactyla brachydactyla (Leisler, 1814)). Particularly significant are specimens of the Eurasian Linnet ( Linaria cannabina mediterranea Tschusi, 1903), one of the few holotypes of currently valid taxa described from Montenegro, and a mounted specimen of the Spur-winged Lapwing ( Vanellus spinosus ) which represents the oldest preserved specimen of Montenegrin avifauna in European museums to date. The NHMW collection also includes specimens of the Egyptian Vulture ( Neophron percnopterus ), White-tailed Eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla ) and Lesser Kestrel ( Falco naumanni ) that are now considered as extinct breeding species in Montenegro. Most specimens were collected between 1894 to 1913, during the Austro-Hungarian occupation of the then-province of South Dalmatia. As expected, about 77% of all study skins originate from the Boka Kotorska area. The most prominent collectors were the military officers Ernst Grossmann (123 specimens) and Johann Polatzek (64), while the majority of egg specimens (532) were collected Ludwig Führer. This paper aims to synthesize evidence on the historical avifauna of Montenegro and to document the contributions of contemporary researchers preserved in archival sources, thereby supporting the continued scientific and museological development of the ornithological collection at the Natural History Museum of Montenegro.