The American Ornithologists' Union Return to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Founded in 1883, the American Ornithologists' Union is the oldest and largest organization in the New World devoted to the scientific study of birds. Although the AOU primarily is a professional organization, its membership of about 4,000 includes many amateurs dedicated to the advancement of ornithological science. The Auk is a quarterly journal of ornithology that contains the results of original scientific research and book reviews.
Supplements provide proceedings of business meetings and committee reports of general interest.
Ornithological Monographs provide an outlet for longer research papers, ranging from over 100 to 1,000 pages. The series began in 1964 and now includes more than 45 publications. Contact Allen M. Hale for more information. Special Publications have included inventories of museum specimens, a guide to grants and awards in ornithology, and directories to ornithological research activities in Latin American countries. Check-List of North American Birds is an authoritative publication that gives scientific and English names, taxonomic status, and geographic ranges of all known species of birds in North America, Central America, Hawaii, and the West Indies.