Description
This project documents bird specimens collected across Taiwan from 1991 to 2012, as part of an effort to preserve avian genetic resources and contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity in Taiwan and globally. Specimens were obtained from naturally deceased individuals and non-lethal sources such as window collisions, banding mortality, and rescue center mortalities. These were donated by a range of contributors, including private individuals, ornithological societies, universities, conservation agencies, wildlife rescue centers and others. From 2012 to 2013, specimens underwent wet lab procedures at the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS), Taichung. Muscle tissue was sampled under sterile conditions, and DNA was extracted and sequenced targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, a widely used barcode marker for avian species identification. The dataset comprises 191 records, covering a diverse range of bird species from multiple orders and families, aligned with the 2023 TWBF Checklist of the Birds of Taiwan (Link to checklist: https://www.bird.org.tw/sites/default/files/field/file/download/The%202023%20TWBF%20Checklist%20of%20the%20Birds%20of%20Taiwan%2020240624ed.pdf). Most records are georeferenced to sites across Taiwan. Sequencing data are publicly available via NCBI GenBank, with accession numbers ranging from PV770366 to PV770556. This dataset contributes both morphological and molecular resources to the scientific community, supporting avian taxonomy, DNA barcoding, and long-term conservation research. All bird specimens were collected under the Ornithology Collection of the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS) and are curated to ensure high standards of preservation, data quality, and accessibility for future research.
Data Records
The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 191 records.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Hoh D, Yao C (2026). NMNS Avian DNA Barcode Project. Version 1.1. National Museum of Natural Science. Occurrence dataset. https://ipt.taibif.tw/resource?r=nmns_avian_dna_barcode_project&v=1.1
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is National Museum of Natural Science. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.
GBIF Registration
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: 586c3f2c-4bb4-4581-b33e-5bfc9a9c9bd5. National Museum of Natural Science publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility.
Keywords
Occurrence; Specimen
Contacts
- Originator
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7810-1034
- Metadata Provider ●
- Point Of Contact
Geographic Coverage
Taiwan
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [21.952, 118.367], North East [25.485, 122.106] |
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Taxonomic Coverage
No Description available
| Kingdom | Animalia |
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| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes, Cuculiformes, Anseriformes, Galliformes, Passeriformes, Pelecaniformes, Falconiformes, Accipitriformes, Gruiformes, Columbiformes, Apodiformes, Charadriiformes, Bucerotiformes, Podicipediformes, Strigiformes, Coraciiformes, Piciformes |
| Family | Laridae, Corvidae, Upupidae, Phylloscopidae, Columbidae, Motacillidae, Muscicapidae, Cuculidae, Podicipedidae, Pycnonotidae, Glareolidae, Picidae, Sturnidae, Alcedinidae, Scolopacidae, Sterna, Reguliidae, Charadriidae, Threskiornithidae, Accipitridae, Campephagidae, Hirundinidae, Strigidae, Phasianidae, Falconidae, Timaliidae, Apodidae, Turdidae, Rallidae, Tytonidae, Sulidae, Turnicidae, Laniidae, Paridae, Ardeidae, Locustellidae, Oriolidae, Dicruridae, Anatidae, Pittidae |
Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 0029-09-12 / 0028-04-03 |
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Project Data
No Description available
| Title | NMNS Avian DNA Barcode Project |
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| Funding | This project is supported by subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and the Nature Conservation Agency, Taiwan, for the projects titled "Operation of the Cryopreservation Genetic Material Repository and Utilization of Genetic Material" (Part 2 of 3) in 2012 and (Part 3 of 3) in 2013. |
Sampling Methods
Bird specimens were primarily obtained from dead individuals found in the field across Taiwan. These specimens were donated by a variety of sources, including private individuals, ornithological societies, airport authorities, universities, government conservation and research agencies, national parks, and bird conservation organizations. A smaller proportion originated from window collisions, mortalities during bird banding research, or birds that did not survive rescue efforts at wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers.
| Study Extent | This study focuses on avian specimens collected across Taiwan. The majority of specimens were sourced from naturally deceased individuals found in the field, with additional contributions from bird collisions, banding mortalities, and unsuccessful wildlife rescue cases. Sampling and genetic analysis were performed at the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS), Taichung. The dataset encompasses a temporal span of collections work from 1991 to 2012, and molecular work from 2012 to 2013, primarily focusing on the mitochondrial COI region for species identification and genetic resource preservation. |
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| Quality Control | The occurrence data of the bird specimens collected was formatted into the Darwin Core format (Darwin Core Maintenance Group, 2023) and validated using GBIF's Data Validator tool (https://www.gbif.org/tools/data-validator). |
Method step description:
- Sample collection: Each specimen was sampled individually, with all procedures conducted by personnel wearing masks and freshly disinfected rubber gloves. Prior to sampling, the workbench, all equipment (including gloves and the drill machine), and the bone sampling area were thoroughly cleaned using a 10% bleach solution. A sterile stainless steel instrument, autoclaved prior to use, was employed to collect muscle samples weighing between 10 and 25 mg. To minimize the risk of cross-contamination, each drill bit was used only once. Following collection, all samples were promptly stored at –20 °C until further processing.
- DNA Extraction: DNA extraction of the muscle samples was performed at a dedicated workbench in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung. Prior to use, the bench surface was thoroughly sterilized using 75% alcohol followed by a 10% bleach solution. DNA was extracted using the DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit (Qiagen, 19300 Germantown Rd., Germantown, MD 20874, United States), following the manufacturer’s recommended protocol.
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and DNA Sequencing: The extracted DNA was subsequently amplified using PCR to target specific regions of mitochondrial DNA, including the control region and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Because the specimens were aged and had been stored under conditions of elevated temperature and humidity, the DNA was expected to be significantly degraded. To accommodate this, primers were designed to amplify short fragments ranging from 200 to 300 base pairs. PCR was conducted in a 20 μL reaction mixture containing 10–80 ng of template DNA, 0.2 mM of dNTPs, 0.1 μM of each primer, 0.5 units of Ex Taq DNA Polymerase (TaKaRa), and 1× PCR buffer. Amplification was carried out using a Biometra TProfessional thermocycler with the following thermal profile: an initial denaturation at 95 °C for 5 minutes; 40 cycles of 30 seconds at 94 °C, 30 seconds at the primer-specific annealing temperature, and 30 seconds at 72 °C; followed by a final extension at 72 °C for 5 minutes. PCR products were visualized by electrophoresis on a 2% agarose gel to confirm amplification success. Positive amplicons were purified using the QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (Qiagen), and direct sequencing was performed following the PRISM™ Ready Reaction Dye Deoxy Terminator Protocol. Sequencing was conducted on an ABI 3730XL Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems Inc., Foster City, CA, USA).
Collection Data
| Collection Name | Ornithology Collection |
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Additional Metadata
| Alternative Identifiers | 586c3f2c-4bb4-4581-b33e-5bfc9a9c9bd5 |
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| https://ipt.taibif.tw/resource?r=nmns_avian_dna_barcode_project |