The Ornithological Council

The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in January and February 2024. 

Our work focuses on permits for ornithological research, animal welfare issues, 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 our 2023 Annual Report. Read the report to learn about our activities in 2023 and see a snapshot of our finances here.

1. Met with Mandy Lawrence with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She’s the new lead on purposeful take policy, as well as the liaison to the regional migratory bird permit offices. We discussed the agency’s transition to ePermits, the development of guidance by the USFWS on take limits for scientific collection permits and depredation permits, the agency’s move from broader “blanket” permits for import and export to more specific permits that list each shipment, and upcoming regulations that the agency is working on. 

2. Met with Tony Celis-Murillo, the Chief of the Bird Banding Lab. OC staff meets regularly with BBL staff to discuss issues of mutual importance, keep each other informed of current activities, and collaborate on solutions to any issues bird banners are facing. 

3. Begun preparing the 4th edition of the Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research in Spanish.  Last year, we published the 4th edition of the Guidelines in English, which consisted of text from the 3rd edition along with new reference lists for each chapter. In addition, old links throughout the document were updated. We are now making those updates to the Spanish version of the 3rd edition and will release the new version in the coming months.

4. Provided direct individual assistance to ornithologists who belong to OC societies regarding how to obtain the permits necessary to complete their research. During January and February, we assisted four individuals with permit issues and two individuals with animal welfare issues. We also continued to assist several museums and institutions facing delays in getting their CITES COSEs renewed, after learning about these delays in August. 

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

• Happy New Year! Apply for your permits today!
• Black-capped Petrel now listed as endangered
• COMMENT OPPORTUNITY: Steller’s Eider under 5-year review
• U.S. Federal appropriations process drags on
• Canadian Council on Animal Care issues new guidelines
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife releases proposal to guide refuge management
• USFWS releases eagle incidental take rule
• REMINDER FROM USDA: Birds and the Animal Welfare Act

All these updates, and more, are always available on the ‘News From the OC’ forum on Ornithological Exchange.

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.