Hi

Rhona Rodger has passed this on. I have recently written an internal memo about the legal status of birds eggs which may help

Birds egg collections

Legal background

It has been illegal to collect wild birds eggs since 1954 under the Protection of Birds Act. It has been illegal to possess unlawfully obtained wild birds eggs since 1981 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it's amendments. Further minor amendments in protection are made in the The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.

To summarise

Possessing a wild bird egg collected after 1954 is against the law unless it can be proved that it was obtained legally.

This means providing evidence that the eggs were collected before 1954 or obtained under a government research licence.

Usually the evidence is provided by data labels with the eggs or an eyewitness statement.

It is illegal to sell an egg collection, although it may be given to someone as a gift or donated to a museum..

Collecting policies.

Museums are interested in egg collections partially for their value as an identification aid, but the major value is in the information that they can tell us about bird distribution and breeding history. Old collections also have historic uses in explaining past attitudes to collecting, collectors and the attitudes of society to the environment. 

We would only accept a birds egg collections if it came with collecting data i.e. what, where, when and by whom or it was a significant historical collection.

The RSPBhas a particular concern about egg collections and taxidermy believing that displays of these collections support existing collectors and encourages collecting amongst the general public, therefore promoting cruelty and illegal activities aginst birds.

I think most museums stopped displaying eggs partially for the same reason thatwe stopped displaying butterflies and shells in endless rows.  They were presented as decorative, collectable objects, an approach which went out of fashion. However it explained nothing about the birds ie habitat lifestyle, conservation status etc..

We currently have birds eggs on display as part of a case interpreting an archaeologicalmidden excavation.

As long as the collection you have is held legally and there is a sound reason for the display there is no ethical reason for not displaying the egg collection. In fact it could be a way of discussing past and present attitudes to wildlife rather than covering up the fact that egg collecting was once considered a perfectly acceptable hobby.

David Lampard
Curator (Geology and Zoology)
the McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum
Dundee City Council
Albert Square, Meadowside
Dundee, DD1 1DA
Tel: 01382 432384
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