The Ornithological Council is a consortium of twelve scientific societies in the Western hemisphere that provides an array of important services to ornithologists. Key among them are:
Addressing the policies that affect our work as ornithologists, including permits at the national, international, and state/provincial levels
Animal welfare policies - the Ornithological Council is responsible for publishing and updating Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research, a peer-reviewed publication that is officially recognized by the National Science Foundation as a standard for compliance with the Animal Welfare Act
Science policy such as research funding, the policies of grant-making agencies, research integrity/misconduct, open access publishing and data sharing requirements
