It’s official. By the end of the year, the American Ornithologists’ Union — the society that maintains the authoritative record of birds found in North and Middle America, votes yea or nay on all species lumps and splits, and publishes the influential peer-reviewed journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances (pictured above) — will go by a new name.

At the North American Ornithological Conference in August, the Fellows of the AOU voted to complete a merger with the Cooper Ornithological Society, forming a single organization that will be called the American Ornithological Society.

The AOU is one of the oldest organizations in the world devoted to the scientific study and conservation of birds. It was founded in 1883 by three giants of early American ornithology — William Brewster, Elliott Coues, and J.A. Allen — and has published The Auk since 1884. Contributing Editor Kenn Kaufman was elected a Fellow in 2013.

The two societies have been engaged in a common publication office and other joint ventures since 2012. The merger is expected to be complete by November 1, 2016. — Chuck Hagner, Editor

Latest supplement splits Western Scrub-Jay into two species.

David Sibley: How to make peace with changes to your checklist.

 

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Originally Published September 30, 2016