As a premier, multi-disciplinary ornithological journal, the aim of Emu - Austral Ornithology is to advance knowledge of the biology and ecology of southern hemisphere birds and highlight topics of relevance to their conservation and management.
To support this overall goal, the Rowley Review Series has been established. The reviews provide critical, state-of-the-art evaluations and original insights on a range of current and newly emerging topics that are important and of interest to ornithologists worldwide. The series is commissioned by invitation after consideration by the Editorial Board of the journal. Suggestions for review topics and authors are welcomed, however, and will be considered seriously by the Editor. Each review will undergo stringent and constructive review by carefully selected referees, with a view to providing the author with valuable feedback to ensure the best possible presentation and maximum impact. The Rowley Reviews will be freely available online to ensure that they are read by the widest possible audience.
Ian Rowley was one of the ´fathers of modern ornithology´. During his long career with CSIRO, he pioneered the use of colour bands to examine the social behaviour of birds and promoted scientific rigour in ornithological studies. Ian was known internationally for his long-term studies of ravens and cockatoos and for his work on cooperative breeding in Australian birds, most particularly fairy-wrens, White-winged Choughs and woodswallows. He published widely in scientific journals and wrote several books including Bird Life, The Galah, and Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens (with Eleanor Russell). Ian´s contributions to ornithology were officially recognised on several occasions: he was the inaugural recipient of the D. L. Serventy Medal, he was an elected Fellow of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (now Birds Australia) and a Corresponding Fellow of the American Ornithologists Union. Ian was Editor of Emu for eleven years from 1990. He was tireless in his commitment to strengthen the journal´s scientific standards, ensuring the content was of interest to a wide audience and guiding authors in their linguistic style to promote the clearest expression of their ideas. In choosing Ian Rowley´s name for the Rowley Review Series, we honour Ian´s contribution to ornithology. His achievements encapsulate the essence of the new review series and our aims for Emu - Austral Ornithology.
The Rowley Reviews can be viewed online.