Collections Manager, Ornithology & Mammalogy
Wayne Longmore in the collections store
Source: Museum Victoria
Wayne looks after the bird, mammal and reptile collections at Museum Victoria.
Background:
Wayne Longmore is regarded as a leading authority on Australasian ornithology. His research has concentrated on taxonomy and systematics, behaviour and nidification (nest-building) of Australasia’s unique avifauna. His efforts to more effectively understand the complexities of Australasian ornithology have involved extensive travel throughout Australia and many of the island states bordering Australia, often at his own expense, as well as dedicated laboratory work.
Current activities:
Wayne was appointed to the position of Museum Victoria’s Collection Manager for Ornithology in 2001, since then this has expanded to enclose Mammalogy (2004) and Herpetology (2007). He is currently involved in the management of these extensive and historically valuable higher vertebrate collections. He continues to see growth in all areas.
His collaborations with international and local ornithologists are well-established and his knowledge of avian classification is often sought to verify points of taxonomy and distribution. As an acknowledged expert on oology (the study of birds' eggs), the Meliphagidae (honeyeaters) and other aspects of avian studies, his expertise is widely used by both amateur and professional bodies. Publications are few and are an eclectic lot; among these are several articles aimed at ecological, behavioural and taxonomic work. Most have an Australasian bent although a small number include foreign taxa. His major contribution to ornithology was through the publication of Australian Honeyeaters and their allies.
Wayne was instrumental in forming a collective of ornithologists from Australia and New Zealand with similar interests and problems in the way to best curate large ornithological collections. He continues to promote Australasian oological interests with the large international museums in Europe and North America.
Last updated 4 May 2010