The collection of birds consists of over 13,000 specimens inclusive of early oological collections (1,400 egg sets) and more recent skeletal material (4,000 specimens). Early UNSM birds contain specimens from the 1870s and into the early 1900s that are primarily from Nebraska, Mexico, and Central America. They include birds collected by M.A. Carriker and J.T. Zimmer while students at Nebraska. Lawrence Bruner, head of the Department of Entomology and Ornithology, collected specimens from Argentina and Mexico primarily for exhibits. Myron Swenk oversaw the collection from 1900 until 1940, and his "Birds and Mammals of Nebraska" (1920) was largely based on specimens in the Museum. "The Birds of Nebraska" (2001) has roots in these collections and continues with the "Birds of Nebraska - Online". Collections currently grow primarily through salvage.