The Eagle Conservation Committee (KOO) was founded in 1981 as an informal group of people who occupy themselves with research on birds of prey and their protection in Poland. In 1991 the KOO was registered as an association (non-governmental organization) engaged in voluntary undertakings in this realm. At present, ca 250 members from all over the country are united in the Committee. They include both specialists in ornithology and nature conservation, foresters, and also enthusiasts of nature and raptors protection.

Objectives of the KOO, defined in the Statute:

• incessant recording of the abundance and distribution of particular species of raptors in the country, along with determination of their habitat and food requirements;
• monitoring of the effectiveness of reproduction and defining the role of particular factors which decide about the productivity of broods;
• working out principles for legal protection of birds of prey, and endeavours to have them currently amended;
• permanent field controls with regard to observance of the protection law in force;
• active resistance to acts of vandalism towards raptors;
• organization of various forms of active protection of birds of prey;
• propagation in the society of the idea of raptors conservation and popularization of the current knowledge about their biology and ecology.

Considering the merits, the KOO activities are supervised by the Scientific Council, composed of the following members:

Prof. Dr hab. Zbigniew Głowaciński, Institute of Nature Protection, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow;
Prof. Dr hab. Maciej Gromadzki, Manager of the Ornithological Station, Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdańsk, Vice-president of the State Council for Nature Conservation;

Prof. dr hab. Ludwik Tomiałojć, Museum of Natural History, Wrocław University, Member of the Nature Conservation Committee, Polish Academy of Sciences, President of the Polish Committee of the World Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).