Updates from the Ornithological Council

Submitted by: Laura Bies, Ornithological Council

The Pacific Seabird Group is part of the Ornithological Council (OC) , a consortium of scientific societies of ornithologists. We’re here to support our societies and their individual members with resources, community action, and individual assistance.

The OC is currently developing a new edition of the Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research. This foundational publication provides an in-depth guide to animal welfare considerations when performing research involving wild birds, including ethical considerations and the legal framework that researchers must follow. We are looking for volunteers for chapter authors and peer reviewers. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Laura Bies (laurabiesoc@gmail.com). Graduate students and early-career professionals are encouraged to volunteer. If you know of a recent methods paper relevant to a topic covered in the Guidelines, please submit the citation (and if possible, a PDF or link to the paper) to Laura Bies. Also welcome are papers that are not method papers per se, but assess the impact of the study methods.

You can learn more about the actions that the OC is taking to support ornithologists on the Ornithology Exchange, in the “News from the Ornithological Council” forum. There you’ll also find timely articles about policy issues that affect ornithologists.

Please feel free to reach out to OC Executive Director Laura Bies at laurabiesoc@gmail.com if we can be of assistance!