René Maugé’s ornithological collections from Kupang Bay, West-Timor, Indonesia, August-November 1801, with special regard to type-specimens

Abstract

The French collector René Maugé (1757-1802) conducted some bird-collecting excursions when anchored in Kupang Bay, West-Timor during his time as part of the French government-funded expedition commanded by Nicolas Baudin (1754-1803). The expedition docked at Tenerife (Spanish Canary Islands), Mauritius, Australia, Timor and South Africa between 1800 and 1804. Maugé made the first collections in Timor. Specimens became dispersed after their arrival with the store-ship Le Naturaliste in Le Havre, France on 7 June 1803. Information concerning 153 specimens of 61 species was found in various documents and museums throughout Europe. Only the type-specimens are listed here and include data associated with them. Fifty-two species new to science were described from Maugé’s Timor collections, 28 of which are still taxonomically recognised today.