The Ornithological Museum of Sardinia is housed in part of the building that housed the Managu Hospital, a rare example of a functioning hospital facility in rural Sardinia in the second half of the 1800s. It constitutes the only ornithological museum in Sardinia today and the most comprehensive museum collection of birds on the island. The exhibit consists of about 300 specimens (represented in 21 orders and 51 families), all belonging to the resident and migratory fauna inhabiting the island’s diverse habitats. The ground floor displays numerous species of Sardinian avifauna, along with a space introducing the evolutionary history of birds (from the “dinosaur with wings” Archeopteryx to the beaks and skulls of various species today). On the second floor is an “active eco-environment” (for a full sensory immersion in the main island habitats frequented by birds), the room for holding meetings and conferences, the section for recreational-educational activities, and the multimedia section. A screen then broadcasts images from a camera that live-streams some swallow nests, for a scientific, popular and study idea unique to Sardinia. The museum, which is also the headquarters of the CEAS Siddi – Marmilla, aims to be a regional reference point for approaching visitors to the knowledge and respect of Sardinian avifauna and to the understanding of the most varied aspects of bird life and the environments in which they live.
