The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology has one of the largest collections of eggs in North America, and it's vital to researchers worldwide.
It’s the season for egg hunts, whether you’ll be searching for the plastic, candy-filled kind or — due to the avian flu outbreak — an affordable dozen at the grocery store.
At UC Berkeley, there are nearly 14,800 sets of bird eggs — 57,883 eggs in all — and 1,300 bird nests at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. The museum has one of the largest collections of eggs in North America.
In the drawers of custom-made steel cabinets, the egg specimens are stored in boxes with see-through tops so they can be viewed without handling. The cabinets have airtight rubber seals, since the museum doesn’t use chemicals to deter pests.