Ornithology is an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research and scholarship advancing the fundamental scientific knowledge of bird species and of broad biological concepts (e.g., ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, genetics) through studies of bird species. Articles often introduce or employ innovative empirical and theoretical approaches and analyses.

Topics covered in the journal, either individually or using an integrative approach, include:

• Evolutionary history and paleontology
• Systematics and nomenclature
• Behavioral ecology
• Foraging strategies and tactics
• Population biology and ecology
• Molecular ecology
• Community and landscape ecology
• Migration and orientation
• Spacing patterns and habitat use
• Genetics and genomics
• Epigenetics, and evolutionary development
• Physiology and biochemistry
• Morphology and anatomy
• Integrative and cross-disciplinary studies
• Theoretical and methodological advances
• Thematic reviews and opinion pieces