Guest feature | Use of acoustic monitoring to estimate occupancy of the Antioquia Brushfinch (Atlapetes blancae), a critically endangered species, in San Pedro de los Milagros, Antioquia
The Antioquia Brushfinch (Atlapetes blancae) is a range restricted bird limited to a plateau in the Central Andes of Colombia, just 45 minutes from the city of Medellín, Colombia. This species was described in 2007 by a British ornithologist based on three museum specimens collected in 1971 by the brothers of a Christian organization committed […] Read More
OC bimonthly news brief March-April 2023
The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in March and April 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
Guest feature | What’s on the menu? Exploring diet across two European Hawfinch populations
Understanding the diet of a species can help us see how they interact within the ecosystem in which they live. Having knowledge of what an organism is eating can tell us a lot about the survival, reproduction success, and overall fitness of that organism. Focusing on birds more specifically, having a high level of knowledge […] Read More
Guest feature | When small is big – Habitat requirements of three Owlet species and their conservation in Central India
Imagine discovering an Owl so small that it was called an Owlet which later became extinct for over a century! That’s precisely what happened with the Forest Owlet, a small owl species found in Central India. In 1872, a specimen was collected by F. R. Blewitt and subsequently described by Hume in 1873. However, the […] Read More
Guest feature | Video nest monitoring to aid recovery of island birds
The conservation of birds on oceanic islands is particularly challenging. These species may have inherently small population sizes, inhabit limited ranges, and be vulnerable to changes in the predator community. As explorers and settlers inevitably arrived, they altered habitats and introduced new predatory species. These changes led to drastic reductions, and occasional extinctions, in island […] 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
AFO news | 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
AFO news | 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
