Author: Paul J. Baicich
Flight Paths: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration
If there is a perfect if unintended target demographic for Flight Paths, the debut book by science writer Rebecca Heisman, it may be the members and associates of the Association of Field Ornithologists. Subtitled "How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration," Heisman's book chronicles the emergence of the increasingly sophisticated techniques... Read More
Vultures of the World: Essential Ecology and Conservation
This book provides a very thorough and up-to-date scientific review of all aspects of the biology of a globally imperiled group of birds that arguably have a disproportionately large ecological role everywhere that they occur in the world. Not since the pesticide DDT drove a suite of apex predators to the brink of extinction in the middle decades of the twentieth century, has the survival of an entire group of birds been threatened by human use of a single chemical... Read More
Identification Guide to North American Birds, Part I (Second Edition)
For more than three decades, the “Pyle Guide” has been banders’ most comprehensive resource to aid in identifying, ageing, and sexing birds in the hand, and many banders consider their equipment incomplete without a copy. Part 1 of the Identification Guide to North American Birds, first published in 1997, contains meticulously detailed species accounts for all North American passerines and near-passerines with text describing all plumages, molt strategies and timing, and other identification, ageing, and sexing criteria. Read More
OC bimonthly news brief January-February 2023
The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in January and February 2023. The Ornithological Council’s mission is to: 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 Laura Bies with questions or concerns […] Read More
Halcyon Journey
Within the field of ornithology, there is a melding of different people who are connected by a common passion – birds. Our passions are as diverse as our obsessions for these creatures. Some of us simply love birds for their beauty, some for their fascinating natural history, and others for the adventures related to merely sharing a “place” with them. There are also those who desire to study, research, and reduce the complexities of birds to advance scientific knowledge and understand their contribution to the overall... Read More
Remembering James Baird
James “Jim” Baird, President of the AFO (then the Northeast Bird Banding Association) from 1967 to 1971, passed away at the age of 97 on January 25th, 2023. Jim led a remarkable life. He was a prolific bird bander and observer of birds, authoring or co-authoring several formative publications on bird migration and other topics […] Read More
Latin American and Caribbean researchers propose measures to address colonialism in science
Two new papers in Ornithological Applications review multiple ways in which the field of Ornithology systemically excludes researchers and research from Latin America and the Caribbean, despite this region harboring the most bird species on Earth. The papers, signed by 128 ornithologists (including professional scientists, naturalists, park rangers and technicians) from 20 countries, also explain […] Read More
OC bimonthly news brief November-December 2022
The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in November and December 2022. The Ornithological Council’s mission is to: 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 Laura Bies with questions or concerns […] Read More
