Editorial: Rising stars in avian physiology: 2022

Recognizing the future leaders of Avian Physiology is fundamental to safeguarding tomorrow’s driving force in innovation. This Research Topic is aimed to supporting scientists in the early stages of their careers across a wide range of disciplines by selecting and publishing their research output at the highest quality standards. In some sense, Avian Physiology is an amalgam of several fields and disciplines. This is reflected in the fact that veterinary oversight of animal research often distinguishes birds from poultry, birds that are used in agriculture. On one hand, avian physiologists who study poultry with the important objective of improving the health and profitability of poultry species are frequently called “poultry scientists”. Poultry scientists have their own journals, such as Poultry Science, and their own societies, such as the Poultry Science Association and others. On the other hand, avian physiologists who study basic mechanisms in a variety of avian species, including poultry species, are often called “ornithologists”. Ornithologists, like poultry scientists, have their own journals, such as Auk and Condor, as well as societies such as the International Ornithological Congress. And there are societies, such as the International Society for Avian Endocrinology, and journals, such as this journal, that address scientific issues from the breadth of Avian Physiology. This Research Topic reflects that breadth.