Journal profile · Ornithology
Wilson Journal of Ornithology
ISSN 1559-4491 · Wilson Ornithological Society · UNITED STATES · Quarterly · Founded 2006
Wilson Journal of Ornithology: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.56; hybrid open access; median 204 days to acceptance (46 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 84 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Wilson Journal of Ornithology is published by Wilson Ornithological Society and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Avian ecology and behavior, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and Animal Behavior and Reproduction, together about 49.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Aims and scopeJournal metrics Editorial board The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (WJO) publishes papers that advance knowledge in ornithology, including behavior, physiology, population and community ecology, evolution, biogeography, taxonomy, and conservation. Original research papers include well-justified, descriptive or exploratory studies on poorly known systems and question-driven studies of better-known systems. Short Communications may include studies with small sample sizes, one-off incidents, or anecdotal sets of observations, but they should clearly open new avenues for research in ornithology by raising important questions or hypotheses. Thus, for Short Communications about natural history we are looking for two pieces: (1) novel and interesting observation(s), and (2) a synthesis, analysis or interpretation that contributes new ideas. We generally do not publish descriptive avifaunal reports, local population counts, or new records for a state. The editors welcome presubmission inquiries if you are not sure whether your study fits our scope. Read full aims and scope
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ornithology
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Avian ecology and behaviorEnvironmental Science28%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science12.5%
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences9.3%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.8%
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science4.7%
- Rangeland and Wildlife ManagementEnvironmental Science4.4%
- Animal Vocal Communication and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ornithology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ornithology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ornithology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 0.56LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.24LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.37LetPub ·
- h-index
- 37LetPub ·
- h-index
- 48OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 670OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.6OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 16.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 69LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,595 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 63 | 12 | 5 |
| 2025 | 84 | 23 | 47 |
| 2024 | 83 | 3 | 86 |
| 2023 | 82 | 7 | 105 |
| 2022 | 113 | 8 | 249 |
| 2021 | 113 | 7 | 259 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
204 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 132 days – 332 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 31 days (46 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 245 days
- Sample
- 46 articles with submission and acceptance dates (167 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access
Overview Open journals Open Select Dove Medical Press F1000Research
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wilson Ornithological Society
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2006
- ISSN
- 1559-4491
- Society / sponsor
- Wilson Ornithological Society
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 138, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Wilson Journal of Ornithology
What CAS zone is Wilson Journal of Ornithology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Wilson Journal of Ornithology is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Ornithology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Wilson Journal of Ornithology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.56; CiteScore 0.9, h-index 48.
How long does peer review take at Wilson Journal of Ornithology?
Based on the dates recorded on 46 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 204 days (interquartile range 132–332 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index Wilson Journal of Ornithology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Wilson Journal of Ornithology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Wilson Journal of Ornithology open access, and what is the APC?
Wilson Journal of Ornithology is a hybrid journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .