The Ornithological Council is an association of

ornithological Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

organisations based in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

involved in bird study and conservation. It was established by

Richard C. Banks Richard Charles Banks (April 19, 1931 – October 24, 2021) was an American author, ornithologist and Emeritus Research Zoologist on staff with the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center run by the U.S. Geological Survey and stationed at the Smithso ...

and incorporated in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 1992 as a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. Its original members comprised the

American Ornithologists' Union The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...

Association of Field Ornithologists The Association of Field Ornithologists (AFO) is an American ornithological society, with a strong focus on field studies and banding, priding itself as serving as a bridge between professional and amateur ornithologists. It was founded in 1922 ...

, Colonial Waterbirds Society (now the

Waterbird Society The Waterbird Society, formerly known as the Colonial Waterbirds Society, is a United States based ornithological society, focusing on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of waterbirds. It was founded in 1976 as the Colonial Waterbird Group, ...

Cooper Ornithological Society The Cooper Ornithological Society (COS), formerly the Cooper Ornithological Club, was an American ornithological society. It was founded in 1893 in California and operated until 2016. Its name commemorated James Graham Cooper, an early California b ...

Pacific Seabird Group The Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) is an international professional ornithological society based in the US, dedicated to the study and conservation of Pacific seabirds and their environment. The objectives of the Pacific Seabird Group are exclusively ...

Raptor Research Foundation The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is a United States based ornithology, ornithological society, focusing on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of bird of prey, birds of prey. It was founded on 11 February 1966 as a non-profit organization, ...

and

Wilson Ornithological Society The Wilson Ornithological Society (WOS) is an ornithology, ornithological organization that was formally established in 1886 as the Wilson Ornithological Chapter of the Agassiz Association. It is based at the Museum of Zoology, University of Michig ...

. Since then they have been joined by

CIPAMEX CIPAMEX, more fully La Sociedad para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves en México, is a Mexican ornithology, ornithological non-profit organization, non-profit organization, with its principal objective the study and conservation of Mexican bir ...

, the

Neotropical Ornithological Society The Neotropical Ornithological Society, or Sociedad de Ornitología Neotropical, is an ornithological non-profit organization, with its principal objective the study and conservation of Neotropical birds and their habitats, including both their bree ...

, the

Society of Canadian Ornithologists The Society of Canadian Ornithologists, or Société des Ornithologistes du Canada, is an ornithological non-profit organization serving Canada’s ornithological community. It was founded in 1983, and is a member of the Ornithological Council. Th ...

and the

Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds BirdsCaribbean, formerly the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB), is an ornithological non-profit organization. Founded in 1988, the organization strives to protect Caribbean birds and their habitats through education, ...

. The Council focuses not only on issues affecting birds and their survival, but also the needs of ornithologists. It tries to resolve conflicts and promotes sound management and the sustainable use of natural resources. Issues include funding for research and educational programs; government regulations and permits for research activities; decision-making in habitat and biodiversity management; the impacts of birds on fisheries, in agriculture, and in urban areas; threatened species; the role of birds in ecosystems; and standards concerning the use and maintenance of live birds in research.

References

BIRDNET
Ornithological organizations Organizations established in 1992 {{US-org-stub