The bird stuffed skins appeared in the collection of the Cabinet of Natural History probably from its very beginning; however, they perished in 1812. In catalogue of the renewed Cabinet dated by 1822, 422 bird specimens were already listed. They were part of undivided zoological collection and were used primarily for teaching. More accurate mounted skins became predominating part of ornithological collection of the Museum since the 1840s.

Division of Ornithology appeared in the Museum as a separate unit in 1932, and the position of its curator was established a year later. Outstanding Russian ornithologist, G.P. Dementiev, was the first to take that position and retained in it up to 1947. Subsequently, the Division was headed by N.A. Gladkov (1947-1954), A.M. Sudilovskaya (1954-1975), and P.S. Tomkovich (since 1977 till now). Prof. Dementiev retained scientific supervisor of the Division in the 1960s, and Prof. V.E. Flint replaced him in that position since 1976.