About Us

Cowan Vertebrate Museum has over 18,000 mammal specimens from 540 species, 17,500 birds from 1,650 species, 7,000 bird eggs from 625 species, and 1,600 amphibians & reptiles from 180 species. All specimens are catalogued on a computerized database. Major geographical representation is for western Canada, particularly British Columbia. Specimens date back to the early 1900s; important historical accessions include the K. Racey collection of birds and mammals, the H.R. Macmillan ornithological collection, and the zoological collections of W.S. Maguire and J. Wynne.