The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 based ornithological

Ornithology

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...

 society, focusing on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of birds of prey

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

. It was founded on 11 February 1966 as a non-profit

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 scientific society with the primary goal of accumulating and disseminating scientific information about hawk

Hawk

The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...

s, eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

s, falcon

Falcon

A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....

s and owl

Owl

Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...

s. It publishes the quarterly journal

Scientific journal

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...

 The Journal of Raptor Research, as well as a newsletter, Wingspan.

The RRF makes two non-monetary awards; the Fran and Frederick Hamerstrom Award recognizes someone who has contributed significantly to the knowledge of raptor ecology and natural history, while the Tom Cade Award recognizes someone who has made significant advances in the captive propagation and reintroduction of raptors. It also makes monetary grants to support raptor research.

The RRF is a member of the Ornithological Council

Ornithological Council

The Ornithological Council is an association of ornithological organisations based in the Americas involved in bird study and conservation. It was incorporated in Washington, D.C. in 1992 as a not-for-profit organization...

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