The answer to this question is a very simple, "no one knows for sure". Paul Hahn attempted to track down every single known specimen, in 1963 both in Museum's and the few in Private Collection's. His book "Where is That Vanished Bird" lists a total of 1532 Specimens and 16 Complete Skeletons. There have been recent attempt's to recount the total number which still exist in Museum's and Private Collection's and some which were listed in 1963, are no longer in the Museum Inventories or have "disappeared" completely. There have also been some unknown specimen's which have miraculously appeared out of private collection's in the past decade. I would take a personal guess and say that between approx. 1300 to a very high 1500 exist between the known Specimen's listed in 1963 (of which 1500 or so might still exist today) and those that might still possibly exist in "Private Collection's". There has been no authoritive "Census" on how many exactly still exist and their specific condition (a mounted specimen or a skin) or if any more skeleton's or bones of the Passenger Pigeon have been found and or assembled. If I was asked "How Many Passenger Pigeon Specimen's Exist"? I would answer, "no one knows for sure but a good estimate would be between approximately 1300 to a very high of approx. 1500.
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