The amazon parrot was likely native to South America

The parrot skeleton - a criminal case

A parrot in the Oceanographic Museum? Sometimes it's like something from a thriller ...

The mysterious parrot skeleton, which is part of the ornithological collection of the German Oceanographic Museum, actually raises a lot of questions. The origin of the skeleton is exciting and mysterious at the same time.

What we know: the skeleton is an Amazon parrot (Amazonica amazonica). This iridescent green parrot with its orange coloured wings was probably native to tropical South America. In the receipt books and inventory volumes of the German Oceanographic Museum, the date of record for the skeleton is noted in the inventory: 01.16.1964 - 47 years ago to the day. At that time, today's Oceanographic Museum was still a natural history institution, at which arrivals such as the parrot skeleton were welcome additions. Since then, the Amazon parrot has belonged firmly to the collection of the German Oceanographic Museum. However, the skeleton's past remains a mystery. Whether it comes from a private collection or is the gift of a well-travelled sailor, can no longer be determined.

Today parrots are not usually accepted into the collection of the German Oceanographic Museum. The current focus of the ornithological collection is on sea and coastal birds from the Baltic and North Sea and the Arctic and Antarctic regions. But the parrot skeleton remains an exceptional complement to the collection and is displayed to visitors on special occasions. Visitors can then let their imagination roam about the origin of the parrot.