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.
Our current supporting members are:
- Burke Museum (Washington)
- Gulf Coast Bird Observatory (Texas)
- Ventana Wildlife Society (California)
By becoming a supporting member today, your organization can become part of the OC community of those who work with and love birds. Supporting memberships are just $500/year for international national organizations and $250/year for local and regional organizations*. Join today!**
The Ornithological Council:
- publishes Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research, a peer- reviewed publication that is a key resource for you and your animal care and use committees. OC has also published a Model Wildlife Protocol and several other guidance documents and articles about biologically appropriate application of animal welfare laws to wildlife research.
- publishes permit guides for federal and state permits, including those issued pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Endangered Species Act, CITES, and permits needed to conduct research on federal and state lands.
- represents ornithologists to the government agencies that make the policies that affect ornithological research, including permits, animal welfare, research funding, data sharing, research ethics and scientific integrity policies, and more.
- keeps ornithologists informed about policy changes that affect ornithological research through various outreach efforts, including workshops at society meetings and notices on OrnithologyExchange
- informs its member societies and supporting members about proposed policies that affect the birds we study and is available to assist with analysis and preparation of a response as needed
OC is your go-to for help with every kind of state/provincial or federal permit and the associated paperwork and processes. We also provide help navigating animal welfare policies and procedures and can assist you with issues that arise with your Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The OC will walk you through every step of these increasingly complicated systems and help you to surmount the hurdles with speed and ease.
Benefits of supporting membership:
- OC staff can provide your organization’s employees with assistance regarding permitting and animal welfare issues
- Connections within the ornithological community – through our website, newsletter, social media and other avenues, supporting members can connect with each other and with our member societies over a broad geography
- A bimonthly supporting member newsletter
Interested in becoming a supporting member of the Ornithological Council? Join today!** Questions? Contact the OC.
* Local/regional organizations are those with a limit geographic scope for their focus and/or membership, such as a local ornithological society. National/international organizations are those with farther-reaching research, education or service or activities. Not sure which one you are? Contact the OC!
**All applications to join the OC as supporting members are subject to approval by the Board of the OC.