American Ornithological Society
Advancing the scientific study and conservation of birds.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
AOS is working to address the need for professional development and support for scientists working to advance the scientific study and conservation of birds. The world’s largest international ornithological society, AOS is a diverse, global network of empowered professionals and is more relevant today than ever. We’re dedicated to supporting the scientists doing this critical work — for the sake of birds, humanity, and the planet.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Publications
AOS publishes the international, peer-reviewed journals, Ornithology (formerly the Auk: Ornithological Advances) and Ornithological Applications (formerly the Condor: Ornithological Applications). These journals publish papers in which authors present original research and scholarship that advance the fundamental scientific knowledge of bird species and contribute to the understanding of broad biological concepts through studies of bird species. The Society endeavors to publish original works that introduce or employ innovative empirical and theoretical approaches and analyses, applied research and methodology, and disciplinary reviews. The AOS is a partner in the online publication, Birds of the World, with Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Prior publications include Ornithological Monographs and the book series, Studies in Avian Biology.
Research Grants and Fellowships
AOS confers significant research grants and prestigious research fellowships for early career ornithologists. The society's wide array of research awards support field and laboratory research to advance ornithological science. The program targets students, students between degree seeking programs, postdoctoral fellows, and early professionals in academia, government, nonprofits, and the private sector working across the globe.
Events
AOS hosts an intellectually engaging and vital annual meeting that provides opportunities for the dynamic exchange of scientific ideas among researchers, students, practitioners, enthusiasts, and world experts in the field of ornithology, both in-person and virtual. AOS regularly holds joint annual conferences in association with other scientific societies dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting programs for professional development of early career professionals. AOS offers content-rich, interactive virtual events throughout the year including training workshops, mentoring series, community forums, and similar activities.
Honors and Awards
AOS confers significant and prestigious awards to its members in recognition of excellence in ornithology and service to the society. These honors and awards serve to promote and inspire the advancement of ornithological science among students, early professionals, and senior scientists, and are awarded to ornithologists and students in academia, government, nonprofits, and the private sector working across the globe. These include 5 publication, 2 service, 4 senior professional, and 2 early career awards.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of conference attendees
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Events
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Research Grants and Fellowships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Total Student & Postdoc research, Kessel, & priority projects. Does not include Senior Awards.
Number of press articles published
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Publications
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Total number of research articles published in our two scholarly journals.
Total number of organization members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
AOS's goals include:
-Advancing ornithology as a discipline and promoting an international community of professionals in ornithology
-Fostering the responsible conduct of scientific research and publishing peer-reviewed ornithological science, with the sub-goals of (1) advancing ornithology as a discipline, (2) promoting the role of science in conserving bird populations, and (3) serving the society at large
-Providing opportunities for ornithologists from diverse backgrounds to network, share resources, and develop new skills
-Supporting student and early-career scientists advancing their careers
-Inspiring and recognizing outstanding research and service by members of our international community
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The current strategic initiatives of AOS are:
(1) Advance ornithological science and research by expanding AOS’s research grant program to support ornithologists at all career stages
(2) Increase access to our quality published ornithological science by expanding the global reach of our peer-reviewed journals and supporting publications by researchers early in their careers and from developing countries
(3) Inform avian conservation outcomes through science arbitration and sponsored scientific reviews
(4) Increase valuable career development opportunities through strategic engagement of our members across all career stages, annual meetings, and communications platforms
(5) Grow and diversify the community of professionals that AOS serves
The Society’s strategic long-range plan directs our efforts and investments in the outcome-based programs that advance these initiatives.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
AOS is proud of its >135-year history of advancing the science and conservation of birds, its distinguished scientists and expansive professional expertise, and its strong financial position to serve the ornithological community.
As the home professional society for a diverse mix of approximately 3000 members working across the globe, the Society has a powerful influence on the professional lives of ornithologists, conservation practitioners, students aspiring to join this profession, and the birds we study and seek to conserve. We offer a wide range of member benefits across all of our mission-based programs, most notably our annual meetings, professional development efforts, scholarly publications program (which has influence far beyond our membership), the imprimatur of our prestigious scientific awards, and the influence of our knowledge and voice to serve society in the protection of bird species.
We collaborate with many partners, including other scientific societies, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and entities dedicated to citizen science. AOS has a history of outstanding leadership, the active support of members who serve the society as volunteers, and generous donors. AOS currently employs six full-time and one part-time staff members.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
AOS is attracting a larger and more diverse constituency of students and early professionals into our community whereby we can support their career development, reversing a two-decade decline in membership in professional societies devoted to ornithology. AOS recently redesigned its annual meeting to deliver science programming and career mentoring of value to our community, which has increased attendance by an average of 28% each year. In 2020, in response to the global pandemic, the AOS partnered with other ornithological societies across the Americas to host a virtual scientific conference that attracted the largest and most diverse attendance of any conference in our history. AOS scientific journals rank among the world’s top peer ornithological publications in terms of impact factor, and AOS-sponsored reviews influence conservation outcomes for endangered birds. Looking forward, AOS goals include further diversifying our global community, increasing engagement of undergraduate students, and expanding our public responsibility efforts to better serve our scientists, bird diversity, and the society at large.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
American Ornithological Society
Board of directorsas of 02/26/2024
Colleen Handel
Sara Kaiser
Erica Nol
Lauryn Benedict
Kristen Ruegg
Michael Webster
Colleen Handel
Scott Lanyon
Steve Beissinger
Kathy Martin
Jennifer Walsh-Edmond
Daizaburo Shizuka
Emily Cohen
Matthew Carling
Carlos Daniel Cadena
Courtney Conway
Alice Boyle
Morgan Tingley
Martin Raphael
Michael Webster
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/24/2019GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.