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| Chilean Society for the Study of Birds | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chilean Society for the Study of Birds |
| Native name | Sociedad Chilena de Ornitología |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Focus | Avian research and conservation |
Chilean Society for the Study of Birds is a Chilean nongovernmental organization dedicated to the study and conservation of birds across Chile, the Patagonia, and adjoining regions of Argentina and the Falkland Islands. The society engages scientists, conservationists, and institutions such as the University of Chile, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Universidad de Concepción, CONAF (Chile), and international partners including the BirdLife International network, the RSPB, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to coordinate field research, policy advocacy, and public education. Its activities intersect with projects in the Atacama Desert, the Chilean Coastal Range, the Andes, and the Magellanic subpolar forests involving species like the Chilean flamingo, Andean condor, and Magellanic penguin.
Founded in 1976 amid increasing attention to biodiversity after publications by researchers from the British Ornithologists' Union, the society emerged as a focal point for Chilean ornithologists associated with the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (Chile), the Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. Early collaborations involved surveys aligned with efforts by the IUCN, the WWF, and expeditions supported by the Royal Society and the Smithsonian Institution. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the society contributed to conservation planning alongside the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessments, the Ramsar Convention site nominations for wetlands such as Salar de Atacama and the Estero de Castro, and regional initiatives led by the Andean Community and the Southern Cone conservation programs. Key milestones included mapping of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas coordinated with BirdLife International and publication partnerships with the Revista Chilena de Historia Natural and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The society's mission aligns with objectives articulated by organizations like the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, and the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network: to promote avian research, safeguard threatened species, and inform policy in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment (Chile), the Chilean Navy (for coastal monitoring), and local municipalities such as Comuna de Puerto Natales. Objectives include generating data for the IUCN Red List, supporting habitat protection in areas recognized by the Ramsar Convention and the Antarctic Treaty System, and enhancing capacity in academic partners such as the Universidad Austral de Chile and the Universidad de Magallanes.
Governance follows a model comparable to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the American Ornithological Society with a board, scientific committees, regional chapters in Valparaíso, Biobío Region, Los Lagos Region, and a secretariat in Santiago. Membership comprises academics from the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, professionals from CONAF (Chile), students enrolled in programs at the Universidad Católica del Norte, and volunteers connected to community groups in Easter Island and Chiloé Island. The society issues fellowships and grants modeled after awards by the National Science Foundation (United States), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the National Geographic Society to support postgraduate research and citizen science networks like those coordinated with the eBird platform and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Programs address seabird monitoring in collaboration with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, raptor conservation tied to Andean condor studies with the World Wildlife Fund, wetland restoration linked to Ramsar sites, and migratory bird tracking using technologies pioneered at the Max Planck Institute and the British Antarctic Survey. Targeted projects include population studies of the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, breeding research on the Maguari Stork in partnership with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and island conservation work on Robinson Crusoe Island coordinated with the Chilean Navy and the United Nations Development Programme. The society also contributes data to international monitoring efforts such as the Panama Bird Observatory network and the Neotropical Ornithological Association.
The society publishes a peer-reviewed journal and regional bulletins analogous to the The Auk and Ibis, collaborates with the Revista Chilena de Ornitología, and issues field guides comparable to those from Helm Identification Guides and Princeton University Press. It disseminates reports to agencies including the Ministry of the Environment (Chile), the Directorate General of Water (DGA), and global databases like the IUCN Red List and the Global Register of Migratory Species. Communications channels include social media outreach modeled after campaigns by the Royal Society and newsletters distributed to members of the Society for Conservation Biology and the American Birding Association.
Educational initiatives mirror programs by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds with school curricula piloted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (Chile), field camps on the Juan Fernández Islands, and teacher training supported by the Inter-American Development Bank. Citizen science projects link volunteers to international platforms such as eBird and iNaturalist, while annual conferences attract speakers from institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Oxford, and the California Academy of Sciences. Community-based conservation work involves indigenous organizations including the Mapuche and local councils in Aysén Region.
The society maintains formal partnerships with BirdLife International, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and academic centers such as the University of Cambridge, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the National University of La Plata. Collaborative projects involve multilateral frameworks including the Convention on Migratory Species, the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (for bycatch mitigation), and cooperation with conservation NGOs such as Conservación Patagónica and Fondo Mundial para la Naturaleza subsidiaries. Through these alliances the society contributes to transboundary initiatives affecting Patagonia, the Southern Ocean, and the Andes-Amazon basin.
Category:Ornithological organizations Category:Nature conservation in Chile Category:Organizations established in 1976