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Message: <blockquote data-quote="birdboybowley" data-source="post: 1581533" data-attributes="member: 60953">But the internal anatomy of a new species of bulbul isn't likely to be that different from another is it? I still don't see why having the physical specimen is better than taking all the necessary data from a live bird - what more do we need, feathers, DNA, bloodwork, sets of biometric photos showing all possible detail - especially as opening the wings on museum specimens is impossible. What if the total population of these new bulbuls is only, say 100 birds, we have now effectively lost 2% of them - but at least we have a specimen or 2 from which I think only very limited information could still be gathered.Which brings me onto why are species that are already housed in various museums around the world in their hundreds still actively collected? What possible use is there for another dead pitta??</blockquote>