Read about the OC’s 2023 highlights in our new annual report!

Happy New Year!

The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in September and October 2023. 

Our work focuses on permits for ornithological research, animal welfare issues, research funding, and other policies that affect ornithologists and ornithological societies. We greatly appreciate your support. Please contact our Executive Director with questions or concerns about this report or about any other matter of concern to your society or your society’s members. 

In this time period, Ornithological Council staff:

1. Released an updated version of A Guide to the Processes and Procedures for Importing Bird Products into the United State for Scientific Research and Display. This extensive guide, which was thoroughly updated in 2020, provides a step-by-step guide for ornithologists importing birds or bird products into the U.S. for research and display, including template documents and checklists to follow. The recent updates were made to ensure that the guide remains up to date as permitting requirements and system change. The Import Guide is available to download for free from the Ornithological Council’s website at BIRDNET.org, as a service to the ornithological community. The guide is updated regularly as agency permitting requirements change, keeping ornithologists in compliance with the many laws and regulations governing the import of bird products.

2. Submitted comments to the U.S. Geological Saver’s Bird Banding Lab, regarding the forms that the agency requires for bird banding permit applications and renewals. In the comments, the OC asked the Bird Banding Laboratory to clarify some of the questions on the banding permit application, including questions about what capture methods would be used and what additional authorizations, such as mouth or cloacal swabs, are being requested. Read the comments here. 

3. Provided direct individual assistance to ornithologists who belong to OC societies regarding how to obtain the permits necessary to complete their research. During September and October, we assisted two individuals with permit issues. We also assisted several museums and institutions facing delays in getting their CITES Certificate of Scientific Exchange (COSE) renewed, after learning about these delays in August. 

4. Posted articles and updates on the Ornithology Exchange regarding:

• Updated Import Guide released
  
• Likely U.S. government shutdown could affect permits for ornithologists
  
• COMMENT OPPORTUNITY: NIH Scientific Integrity Policy
  
• Science funding falling short in the US
  
• ILAR becomes the Board on Animal Health Sciences, Conservation, and Research
  
• Delistings due to extinction finalized
  
• HPAI detected in Antarctic region
  
• Canadian Council on Animal Care revising euthanasia guide
  
• OC submits comments on banding permits

The Ornithological Council has submitted comments to the U.S. Geological Survey regarding the forms that the agency requires for bird banding permit applications and renewals. 

In the comments, the OC asked the Bird Banding Laboratory to clarify some of the questions on the banding permit application, including questions about what capture methods would be used and what additional authorizations, such as mouth or cloacal swabs, are being requested. 

Read the Ornithological Council’s comments here. 

The Ornithological Council has released another updated version of A Guide to the Processes and Procedures for Importing Bird Products into the United State for Scientific Research and Display. This extensive guide, which was thoroughly updated in 2020, provides a step-by-step guide for ornithologists importing birds or bird products into the U.S. for research and display, including template documents and checklists to follow. The recent updates were made to ensure that the guide remains up to date as permitting requirements and system change. 

The Import Guide is available to download for free from the Ornithological Council’s website at BIRDNET.org, as a service to the ornithological community. It contains sections on the import permitting requirements of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA APHIS, and the Centers for Disease Control, as well as information about planning your travel and how to ship your specimen. It leads the ornithologist through the entire process, from paperwork to port and beyond. In addition to the hard-and-fast rules and requirements, this guide also offers best practices and helpful hints.

The guide is updated regularly as agency permitting requirements change, keeping ornithologists in compliance with the many laws and regulations governing the import of bird products.

If you have any questions after reading the Import Guide or find areas that require further clarification, please contact Laura Bies (laurabiesoc@gmail.com), Executive Director of the Ornithological Council.