The Ornithological Council is updating the Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research - and we need your help!

The Ornithological Council is planning a minor revision to the Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research. This foundational publication, now in its third edition, provides an in-depth guide to the animal welfare considerations when performing research involving wild birds, including ethical considerations and the legal framework that must be followed by researchers. Topics include investigator impact generally, collecting and trapping, marking, transport, housing and captive breeding, minor and major manipulative procedures, and euthanasia. 

The last edition was published in 2010. The Ornithological Council is interested in compiling updated references from the last 10 years so we can include those in the next update. If you are aware of a methods paper relevant to a topic covered in the Guidelines, please submit the citation (and if you have it, a PDF of the paper or a link to it) to Laura Bies (laurabiesoc@gmail.com). Also submit papers that are not methods papers per se but assess the impact of the study methods. 

We are also looking for volunteers to coordinate the literature reviews for each chapter. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Laura Bies at laurabiesoc@gmail.com. 

The chapters in the Guidelines are:

1. Introduction 
2. Impact of Investigator Presence 
3. Capture and Marking 
4. Transport of Wild Bird 
5. Captive Management 
6. Minor Manipulative Procedures 
7. Major Manipulative Procedures 
8. Scientific Collecting 

The 2010 edition of Guidelines is available here.

About the Ornithological Council

The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 10 scientific societies of ornithologists; these societies span the Western Hemisphere and the research conducted by their members spans the globe. Their cumulative expertise comprises the knowledge that is fundamental and essential to science-based bird conservation and management.  The Ornithological Council is financially supported by our 10 member societies and the individual ornithologists who value our work. If the OC’s resources are valuable to you, please consider joining one of our member societies or donating directly at Birdnet.org. Thank you for your support!