The journal covers the anatomy, behavior, and distribution of birds.

It was named for the great auk, the symbol of the AOS.

In 2018, the American Ornithology Society announced a partnership with Oxford University Press to publish The Auk: Ornithological Advances and The Condor: Ornithological Applications.

[1] In January 2021, the journal was renamed Ornithology, with the stated goal of improving descriptiveness, thematic focus, and ease of citation of the journal title.

The society's sister publication The Condor was renamed Ornithological Applications at the same time.