1855 in birding and ornithology

Ongoing events
 * Discovery of the fossil bird Gastornis parisiensis.
 * Thomas Campbell Eyton plans a large natural history museum at Eyton Hall.
 * Purple-crowned fairywren discovered on Augustus Charles Gregory's northern Australian expedition.
 * Birds described in 1855 include Tickell's brown hornbill, Tristan thrush, robust white-eye, sapphire quail-dove,
 * William John Swainson and Louis Antoine François Baillon die.
 * Howard Saunders begins bird studies in Brazil and Chile
 * Gustav Radde joins the East Siberian Expedition of 1855, led by the astronomer Ludwig Schwarz.
 * John Gould authors Descriptions of Eight New Species of Birds from South America. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1855 Pt 23 no. 288: 67–70. online BHL
 * John Gould The birds of Australia; Supplement 1851–69. 1 vol. 81 plates; Artists: J. Gould and H. C. Richter; Lithographer: H. C. Richter
 * John Gould The birds of Asia; 1850-83 7 vols. 530 plates, Artists: J. Gould, H. C. Richter, W. Hart and J. Wolf; Lithographers:H. C. Richter and W. Hart