Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology- Bird Museum Camarillo

Here is info about the 'Bird Museum' field trip. Very cool place to check out! You do have to call to make an appointment. And, of course, the specimens have a fragrant odor but not too strong. They keep the warehouse-like room VERY cold so bring a sweater. I asked the percentage of birds and eggs that they do have there and they told me the most they have is of the tropical region of the earth (middle) and that they have about 2/3 of the total amount of bird and egg species of the world, including extinct ones. They also take dead birds and eggs if you find them. Call first to make sure it is one they will want. They always want to know details about where they were found. Some they might have too many of but will keep to be examined!

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Where: Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology
Location: 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA 93012

Who: Grades 3rd through 10th (Maximum of 40 people including the parent chaperons)
(target grades 4th-8th) We are stretching this to accommodate the home school families.


The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, is a non-profit corporation, is both a natural history collection specializing in eggs and nests of birds from around the world, and a research and education institution dedicated to bird conservation. The Foundation's fundamental mission is to obtain, protect, and manage ornithological collections in a manner that ensures their accessibility to researchers, educators, students, and the public, and to ensure that the materials are used in projects that contribute to the conservation of the world's wild bird species.

Information presented on school tours dovetails with California Science Standards so that parents can make it fit with their students’ education requirements. Subjects such as bird biology, biodiversity, and ecology are covered, as well as fun facts about the birds of the world. The collection materials are always popular with students and the general public, and are key to being able to teach about natural science.
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Largest collections of bird eggs and next specimens in the world. AMAZING!