Bird Extinctions
It’s not every day that we do photo shoots with organisms that have been dead for any length of time; however, on occasion the preserved bird skins in the Peterson collection still get a bit of use even though some of the birds themselves have been dead for over a hundred years, and their species extinct for decades. Many of the bird skins that lay in their likely final resting spot here at RTPI were part of Roger Tory Peterson’s collection that he used for reference while painting each species for his field guides. Nowadays they still serve a purpose for researchers and others...
Read MoreRoger Tory Peterson woodpecker plate
Throwback Thursday – Roger Tory Peterson with one of his exquisite woodpecker plates as taken by Noble Proctor. Can you identify the birds? I’ve seen all three! Maybe the last one was not living…you can find the Red-headed Woodpecker uncommonly in a few locations Western New York and the Pileated Woodpecker in areas of sizable mature forests. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is in RTPI’s collection along with several other now extinct species.
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