Bird Collection of Helsingborg Museums

The bird collection of Helsingborg Museums consists at present of over 2200 individuals representing about 650 species. The collection was mainly acquired during the early 1900’s. The Carl Möller collection, the first acquisition contributing to the bird collection of Helsingborg Museums, was acquired by way of purchase during March 28 in 1906 where 1 900 birds, a large insect collection and 4500 bird eggs were bought. The collection was created by Carl Möller, squire and conservator of the estate Vedelsbäck in Stehag parish, located near Ringsjön in Skåne, Sweden. The collection had previously been exhibited in a private museum in a wing of Möller's estate in Vedelsbäck. The acquisition was then described as consisting of "all Swedish species of birds, butterflies and beetles". Today Möller's collection consists of 840 birds collected in Skåne, 211 birds from the rest of Sweden, 335 collected in Europe and 265 from the rest of the world. For the birds where age is given there are about 260 chicks (pullus), 250 juveniles and 280 adults. The birds were collected during the 1848 to 1899 especially between the years 1869 to 1879. Carl Möller collected many of the birds himself but also had help from Hjalmar Christiernsson, Gustaf Kolthoff, Wilhelm Liljeborg, C. W. Lundborg, Tage Thott, Otto Möller and a number of other collectors. In addition to Carl Möller's bird collection, Helsingborg Museums have acquired 350 Swedish birds, 30 European birds and 110 birds from the rest of the world. For the birds where age is indicated there are 25 chicks (pullus), 105 juveniles and 165 adults. The largest part of the collection was acquired before 1910 from companies, institutions and individuals by way of barter, purchase or as gifts. The contributors are mainly Copenhagen Zoo, Biological Museum of Lund University, Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Carl Granstedt and Harald Muchardt. Since 1910 only 85 birds have been acquired.