A METICULOUS project to identify and catalogue every single specimen of bird at a South Lakeland museum has been completed after almost 10 years.

All 1,681 specimens of the impressive bird collection at the World Wildlife Gallery in Kendal Museum have been catalogued for the first time with help from Museum and Gallery Skills students, staff and volunteers.

The work has highlighted the existence of some extremely rare, critically endangered and extinct birds from all over the world in a collection that boasts 717 different species.

Much of the collection dates from the 19th century and Kendal Museum is now working to refurbish the gallery to make it possible for every single specimen to be on public display.

“This is really quite a remarkable feat," said museum curator Carol Davies. "It’s been 10 years of work and now we’ve got this incredible scientific record at the museum, which is unique in the UK.

"We had to check, update and in some cases, correct the identities of the specimens and add their current scientific names. Sometimes this involved identifying specimens that didn’t have any previous label or record such as a case of 61 hummingbirds. This was certainly a challenge as there are over 300 species – many with different male and female plumages - to choose from.

“We couldn’t have completed this project without the support of our dedicated volunteers, none more so than Judith Robinson who consistently shared her expertise to catalogue this collection for posterity and of course for all of our visitors to enjoy.”

The fully catalogued collection includes a note of 2017 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources status, which shows that there are more than 10 specimens of birds on the red list as being endangered or critically endangered and many more classed as vulnerable or near-threatened.

There are also specimens of the extinct Huia from New Zealand and the possibly extinct Eskimo Curlew and the Ecuadorian Turquoise-throated Puffleg hummingbird.