So much to eat, so little time: A rapid refueling stop on arrival in South America is key to epic migration of the Blackpoll Warbler

By Nicholas J. Bayly Linked paper: Rapid recovery by fat- and muscle-depleted Blackpoll Warblers following trans-oceanic migration is driven by time-minimization by Nicholas J. Bayly, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, D. Ryan Norris, Philip D. Taylor, and Keith A. Hobson. Ornithology. For scientists and bird watchers alike, when we think about epic migratory journeys, the Blackpoll Warbler …

Accessing supplementary materials for AOS journals

It has recently come to our attention that supplementary materials for articles published in the AOS journals, Ornithology and Ornithological Applications, are not currently accessible through BioOne. We are looking into this issue and hope to have it resolved quickly for our readers. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you are an …

Do protected areas work? Long-term monitoring shows protected areas safeguard bird populations and support federal and state mandates

By Point Blue Conservation Science Linked paper: Protected areas safeguard landbird populations in central coastal California: evidence from long-term population trends by Mark D. Dettling, Kristen E. Dybala, Diana L. Humple, and Thomas Gardali, Ornithological Applications. Federal and state mandates to conserve 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030 are intended to protect …

Variation in migration phenology of boreal breeding birds is linked to evolutionary adaptations for long-distance migration

By Ben Winger Linked paper: Migration distance is a fundamental axis of the slow-fast continuum of life history in boreal birds by Benjamin M. Winger and Teresa M. Pegan, Ornithology Recently, it occurred to me that the anticipation and excitement of my first spring migration—experienced more than twenty years ago—continues to inspire my research today, …

In with the Old, Out with the Mew

Keep your checklists handy because the 62nd Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds, publishing today in Ornithology, includes numerous updates to the classification of the continent’s bird species. A few highlights from this year’s supplement, detailed below, include species splits for Mew Gull, Barred Owl, and Sedge Wren, among quite …

On the road to trans inclusivity in publishing at the American Ornithological Society

By Catherine Lindell, Editor-in-Chief, Ornithological Applications The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is striving to become welcoming and inclusive of all members of our community. The Committee on Publication Ethics or COPE has resources to help us on this journey. COPE “provides leadership in thinking on publication ethics, practical resources to educate and support members, and …

Welcome to Our New Members of AOS Council!

We are excited to announce the winners of the 2021 AOS Council election! The Council is AOS’s governing body, made up of member volunteers who oversee the society’s strategic direction, policies, budget, and organizational planning.

Solving the Mystery of the Genderu Sunbird

By Jacob C. Cooper Linked paper: Multiple lines of evidence indicate ongoing allopatric and parapatric diversification in an Afromontane sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) by Jacob C. Cooper, J. Dylan Maddox, Kellie McKague, and John M. Bates, Ornithology Five years ago, as I was settling into my new life as a graduate student at the University of …

How will migratory birds in South America adapt to future climate change?

by Natália Stefanini Linked paper: Future climate change will impact the size and location of breeding and wintering areas of migratory thrushes in South America by Natália Stefanini Da Silveira, Maurício Humberto Vancine, Alex E. Jahn, Marco Aurélio Pizo, and Thadeu Sobral-Souza, Ornithological Applications  The answer to the question of how migratory birds in South …

Species Limits and Taxonomy in Birds

How we determine what entities we call species has major impacts on ornithology at many levels; the units used in every field of scientific research and that are the focus of conservation and legislative planning are the result of this data-driven process. Once species limits are decided, the scientific and English names that we use …