Exhibits already moved include (top shelf, from left) a blue duck, a yellow-eyed penguin, a New Zealand falcon and wood pigeon.
The museum's Nature Galleries closed last week for an extensive upgrade, and many gallery exhibits, including dozens of stuffed birds, were shifted into the nearby lounge.
More than $100,000 is being spent to revamp the nature galleries, in the biggest changes there for more than 15 years.
Museum director, exhibitions, development and planning Clare Wilson said the best exhibits, including attractive dioramas in the insect section, were being retained; with new displays added and the focus shifting to Otago nature, instead of the previous broader approach.
Some ageing parts of the galleries had become "a bit of a letdown" for visitors walking through from the much more modern Southern Land, Southern People exhibition area, which opened in 2002, she said.
Observation windows will enable visitors to see what is happening behind the scenes during the renovations.
