The Ornithological Council

The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in May and June 2022. 

The Ornithological Council’s mission is to: 

• Ensure that the best ornithological science is incorporated into legislative, regulatory, and management decisions that affect birds;
• Enhance the ability of ornithologists to pursue professional activities; and
• Promote the influence of ornithology in public affairs.

Our work focuses on animal welfare issues, permits, 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, the Ornithological Council:

– Prepared comments on the proposed rule published by the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service that would regulate the use of birds not bred for research under the Animal Welfare Act. The comments submitted by the OC note that, while the OC believes strongly that all birds should be treated humanely, in the laboratory and in the field, additional regulation of birds under the AWA may well be duplicative to already existing regulation of such research under different laws and rules. Read the OC’s comment letter here.

– Reinvigorated its ‘supporting membership’ category, to expand its membership and its reach to ensure that all ornithologists can benefit from the OC’s resources and expertise. Now, organizations and institutions can become part of the OC community of those who work with and love birds. Supporting memberships are just $500/year for international and national organizations and $250/year for local and regional organizations. Learn more here.

– Released another updated version of the Guide to the Permits and Procedures for Importing Bird Products into the United States for Scientific Research and Display, as a result of recent changes in permitting systems and requirements. The Guide is available as a free resource on BIRDNET.org. 

– Continued work on our update of the Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research. We are currently in the process of reviewing the literature for new papers published since the 2010 publication of the current edition. New reference lists for each chapter are being made available on BIRDNET.org once completed, and once all chapter updates have been completed, a new PDF of the Guidelines with the new references will be compiled and posted online.  

– Provided direct individual assistance to ornithologists who belong to OC societies regarding how to obtain the permits necessary to complete their research. During May and June, we assisted 3 individuals with permit issues.

– Posted articles and updates on the Ornithology Exchange regarding:

Canada updates migratory bird regulations

ESA habitat definition rescinded

Arati Prabhakar nominated as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

Survey seeks info on colonial seabirds during the current HPAI outbreak 

Recovering America’s Wildlife Act passes the U.S. House

New APHIS online permit system launched

OC submits comments on AWA regulation of birds

In case you missed it: New Ivory Billed pre-print available

Bi-State Sage Grouse listing to be reconsidered

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

For thirty years, the Ornithological Council has been the voice for ornithologists in Washington, D.C. and has provided expert advice to empower and support all manner of work with birds. Founded and historically supported by ornithological societies, the Ornithological Council is expanding its membership and its reach to ensure that all ornithologists can benefit from its resources and expertise. Organizations interested in supporting the OC can now become supporting members. Learn more 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.

This new version of the Import Guide includes updates on using the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s new eFile System, which is required for all new and renewal permit applications starting today, May 31, 2022. Learn more about APHIS’ new system here.

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.

The Ornithological Council submitted comments this week to the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), regarding their forthcoming regulations for birds not bred for use in research under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). After previous, unfinished attempts at regulating birds under the AWA and subsequent lawsuits forcing agency action, APHIS announced in June 2020 that they were once again starting the rule-making process to develop regulations governing birds not bred for use in research.

In October 2020, the OC submitted written comments and also offered public testimony during a virtual listening session held by APHIS to gather information to assist the agency in the development of their regulations. In June 2020, APHIS released those draft regulations. The comments submitted by the OC this week in response to those draft regulations note that, while the OC believes strongly that all birds should be treated humanely, in the laboratory and in the field, additional regulation of birds under the AWA may well be duplicative to already existing regulation of such research under different laws and rules. Read the OC’s comment letter here.

Unsure how regulation of birds under the AWA will affect you? Check out the OC’s fact sheet on birds and the AWA.

The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in March and April 2022. The Ornithological Council’s mission is to: