Skins in the MVZ bird collection are organized in the following hierarchy:

1. 1. Taxonomic down to species or subspecies (if polytypic)
   2. Geographic within the lowest taxonomic unit to the level of states/counties
   3. Geographic within a state/county from north to south and west to east
   4. Elevationally from low to high within an identical specific locality
   5. Chronologically within the same locality (including elevation) by day and month regardless of year
   6. Numerically by collector or MVZ catalog number if the locality and date are identical for a given taxon

The geographic arrangement is intended to allow curators and researchers to see how phenotypes (e.g., size, color, pattern) change in different geographic areas and associated environments. The chronological arrangement within a locality provides organization of skins by annual cycle (e.g., breeding, molting, wintering).

For more detail, see the section on skins under Installing Birds.

Geographic order for skeletons, eggs, nests, and alcohol specimens is arranged alphabetically. For more detail, see Organization of the Collection.