Web Resources for Ornithologists

The following are a list of web sites of special interest to ornithologists. If you would like to suggest additions to this list, please contact the AOU Web Editor (). A summary of resources listed elsewhere on this site can be found here.

Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA)

The SORA project is an open access electronic journal archive and is the product of a collaboration among the American Ornithologists' Union, the Cooper Ornithological Society, the Association of Field Ornithologists, the Wilson Ornithological Society, the Eastern, Inland and Western Bird Banding Associations, the Neotropical Ornithological Society and the University of New Mexico libraries and IT department. This archive provides access to an extensive Ornithological literature of international scope, and detailed material documenting the history of Ornithology in North America over the last 120 years. The content of this site includes the following titles: The Auk (1884-1999), The Condor (1899-2000), The Journal of Field Ornithology (1930-1999), North American Bird Bander (1976-2000), Pacific Coast Avifauna (1900-1974), Studies in Avian Biology (1978-1999), The Wilson Bulletin (1889-1999), and Ornitologia Neotropical (1990-2002).

Ornithological Worldwide Literature (OWL)

OWL is a compilation of citations and abstracts from the worldwide scientific literature that pertain to the science of ornithology. A major attraction is its coverage of the 'grey' literature, which are not abstracted by commercial databases such as Zoological Record or the Science Citation Index. OWL is a joint effort between the American Ornithologists' Union and the British Ornithologists' Union and Birds Australia. The database is hosted by the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, based in the Zoology Department of Oxford University, UK.

BIRDNET

BIRDNET is a site developed and maintained by the Ornithological Council. The Ornithological Council was created in 1992 by the American Ornithologists' Union, the Association of Field Ornithologists, the Cooper Ornithological Society, the Colonial Waterbirds Society (now the Waterbird Society), the Pacific Seabird Group, the Raptor Research Foundation, and the Wilson Ornithological Society. Four additional societies have since joined as member organizations. BIRDNET provides access to documents produced by the Ornithological Council (Issue Briefs, Reports to the member societies, news about ornithological issues, and other materials), and links to the web sites of member societies and to a range of other resources of value to ornithologists.

Visual Resources for Ornithology (VIREO)

VIREO is the world's most comprehensive collection of bird photographs. It houses over 120,000 images of more than 6,700 bird species. VIREO was established in 1979 to create a centralized, well-curated collection of bird photographs accessible for scientific and public use. VIREO makes photographs available to a wide spectrum of users. Some of the world's best bird photographers are VIREO contributors. VIREO is constantly expanding its collection and looking for new talent.

Global Raptor Information Network (GRIN)

A website maintained by The Peregrine Fund to provide detailed information on diurnal birds of prey and to facilitate communication between raptor researchers of the world. GRIN features include a comprehensive database on the distribution and population status of diurnal raptors, handbook-style species accounts, a large searchable bibliography, homepages for raptor researchers, a "Recent Raptor News" section, and links to numerous other related websites.

Grants, Awards, and Prizes in Ornithology

This page on BIRDNET is a web-based continuation of a booklet Grants, Awards, and Prizes in Ornithology, 3rd edition (1993; out of print). It provides links to a wide range of sites, mostly of interest to students.

A Guide to Graduate Programs in Ornithology

This page on web site of the WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY states: "The purpose of this guide is to give undergraduate college students and their academic advisors information about those graduate degree programs where they can do advanced studies in support of their interests in the biology of birds. We present information abstracted from brochures and catalogs furnished by the departments and faculty members of the institutions listed below."

Bird Links to the World

This site, developed by Denis Lepage and hosted by Bird Studies Canada, provides links to an incredible variety of sites dealing with birds, birding and ornithology.

Avibase

Avibase is an extensive database information system about all birds of the world, containing over 1.4 million records about 10,000 species and 22,000 subspecies of birds, including distribution information, taxonomy, synonyms in several languages and more. This site is managed by Denis Lepage and hosted by Bird Studies Canada, the Canadian copartner of Birdlife International.

Bird Banding Laboratory

This site provides information on bird banding, permit application, some results of banding, and links to resources for banders, including supplies and training materials. The site is linked to the Canadian Banding Office.