The Auk: Ornithological Advances 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