The AOS Coues Award recognizes outstanding and innovative contributions to ornithological research, with no limitation with respect to geographic area, sub-discipline(s) of ornithology, or the time course over which the work was done. It consists of a medal and an honorarium and is named in honor of Elliott Coues, a pioneering ornithologist of the western United States.
Coues Award Nomination Guidelines
Before submitting a nomination, please review the lists of previous recipients below. In recognition of the large number of ornithologists making outstanding contributions to our science, the AOS Council recommends that the Coues Award not be conferred upon the same individual more than once in their lifetime. Generally an individual is expected to receive only one senior Award. However, since the Miller Award recognizes lifetime achievement in ornithological research, it is possible for an individual to receive a Miller Award after receiving a Coues or one of the other AOS senior awards, ideally only after an extended period of time since receiving one of the other Senior Awards. Note that nominees for the Coues Award need not be members of AOS at the time of their nomination. All award nominees are expected to have a high standard of ethical and social behavior that is strongly aligned with the AOS Code of Conduct & Ethics.
Submit a Nomination
Nominations for AOS Senior Professional Awards are closed.
Nominations must be submitted through our online Member Portal.
- The page linked above will direct you to a login screen. If you have previously created an account in our Member Portal, enter your user name and password. After logging in, you will be redirected to the Senior Professional Award nomination page.
- If you have not previously created an account, click Register Now on the lower right to set up your profile.
To submit a nomination for the Coues Award, you will need to upload 1) a written summary (no more than 2 pages) describing the nominee’s contributions to ornithology and why they should be recognized with the award, and 2) a current CV of the nominee.
Previous Coues Award Winners
2024 Rebecca T. Kimball
2023 Gregory F. Ball & Jacques Balthazart
2022 Bruce Lyon & Bridget Stutchbury
2021 Peter Arcese & Bruce Beehler
2020 André Dhondt & Tom Smith
2019 Linda Whittingham & Peter Dunn
2018 Peter P. Marra
2017 Kevin J. McGraw
2016 Michael Sorenson
2015 Scott Edwards
2014 Staffan Bensch
2013 Russell Greenberg
2012 F. Gary Stiles
2011 Timothy Birkhead
2010 Robert Montgomerie
2009 Charles R. Brown and Mary Bomberger Brown
2008 P. Dee Boersma
2007 Keith A. Hobson
2006 Sievert A. Rohwer
2005 Nicholas B. Davies
2004 Jared Verner
2003 Donald E. Kroodsma
2002 Jeffrey R. Walters
2001 Raymond A. Paynter, Jr. and Melvin A. Traylor, Jr.
2000 Thomas E. Martin
1999 Sir John R. Krebs
1998 Jared M. Diamond
1997 Chandler S. Robbins
1996 Ellen D. Ketterson
1995 Ian Newton
1994 Wolfgang Wiltschko
1993 Joel L. Cracraft
1992 Frances C. James
1991 John A. Wiens
1990 No Award
1989 Peter Berthold
1988 Ralph W. Schreiber
1987 John C. Wingfield
1986 Fernando Nottebohm
1985 Thomas R. Howell
1984 Thomas J. Cade
1983 Masakazu Konishi
1982 No Award
1981 Amos Ar, Charles Paganelli, and Hermann Rahn
1980 Nicholas E. Collias and Elsie C. Collias
1979 No Award
1978 Joseph J. Hickey
1977 Jean Delacour and Ernst Mayr
1976 Peter Marler
1975 Richard F. Johnston and Robert K. Selander
1975 Walter J. Bock
1974 Robert H. MacArthur
1973 John T. Emlen Jr.
1972 Niko Tinbergen
1972 Alexander Wetmore