The Ornithological Council is an association of ornithological

Ornithology

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...

 organisations based in the Americas

Americas

The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

 involved in bird study and conservation. It was incorporated in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 in 1992 as a not-for-profit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

. Its original members comprised the American Ornithologists' Union

American Ornithologists' Union

The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...

, Association of Field Ornithologists

Association of Field Ornithologists

The Association of Field Ornithologists is an American ornithological society, with a strong focus on field studies and banding, priding itself as serving as a bridge between professional and amateur ornithologists...

, Colonial Waterbirds Society (now the Waterbird Society

Waterbird Society

The Waterbird Society, formerly known as the Colonial Waterbirds Society, is a United States based ornithological society, focusing on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of waterbirds. It was founded in 1976 as the Colonial Waterbird Group, becoming the Colonial Waterbird Society in 1986 and...

), Cooper Ornithological Society

Cooper Ornithological Society

The Cooper Ornithological Society , formerly the Cooper Ornithological Club, was founded in 1893 in California. Its name commemorates James Graham Cooper, an early California biologist. It publishes the ornithological journal The Condor and the monograph series Studies in Avian Biology...

, Pacific Seabird Group

Pacific Seabird Group

The Pacific Seabird Group is a United States based ornithological society, focusing on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of seabirds.-History:It was founded in 1972 as an association of professional seabird researchers and managers...

, Raptor Research Foundation

Raptor Research Foundation

The Raptor Research Foundation is a United States based ornithological society, focusing on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of birds of prey. It was founded on 11 February 1966 as a non-profit scientific society with the primary goal of accumulating and disseminating scientific...

 and Wilson Ornithological Society

Wilson Ornithological Society

The Wilson Ornithological Society is an ornithological organization that was formally established in 1886 as the Wilson Ornithological Chapter of the Agassiz Association. It is based at the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. It was named after Alexander Wilson, a...

. Since then they have been joined by CIPAMEX

CIPAMEX

CIPAMEX, more fully La Sociedad para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves en México, is a Mexican ornithological non-profit organization, with its principal objective the study and conservation of Mexican birds and their habitats. It publishes the journal Huitzil in electronic format...

, the Neotropical Ornithological Society

Neotropical Ornithological Society

The Neotropical Ornithological Society, or Sociedad de Ornitología Neotropical, is an ornithological non-profit organization, with its principal objective the study and conservation of Neotropical birds and their habitats, including both their breeding and non-breeding areas. It was founded in...

, the Society of Canadian Ornithologists

Society of Canadian Ornithologists

The Society of Canadian Ornithologists, or Société des Ornithologistes du Canada, is an ornithological non-profit organization serving Canada’s ornithological community...

 and the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds

Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds

The Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds is an ornithological non-profit organization It strives to protect Caribbean birds and their habitats through education, research, conservation action and capacity building...

.

The Council focuses not only on issues affect birds and their survival, but also the needs of ornithologists. It tries to resolve conflicts and promotes sound management and the sustainable use of natural resources. Issues include funding for research and educational programs, government regulations and permits for research activities, decision-making in habitat and biodiversity management, the impacts of birds on fisheries, in agriculture and in urban areas, threatened species, the role of birds in ecosystems, and standards concerning the use and maintenance of live birds in research.