Blue-crowned Parakeets, Aratinga acuticauda. There are probably four species of parakeet that have established populations in the south of England, probably descendants from accidental or deliberate releases of captive birds.

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Our building

Arches above the Central Hall

Arches above the Central Hall, c1890. ©Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum was opened to the public on Easter Monday 1881 in a building which has delighted its staff and visitors ever since. The building has its origins in a sketch plan drawn by Richard Owen in January 1859, and has a complex and fascinating history. There are a number of books and other sources relating to the building of the Museum. We have also put together an outline architectural history for easy reference.

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