Since sometime in the 1970's, a small group of individuals with extremely high security clearances, who were working on various aspects of UFO research and policy, began to interact unofficially on a regular basis to pool information. Their objectives were to coordinate data, see the big picture, analyze the meaning of UFOs and extraterrestrial contact with Earth, use this knowledge to gain access to additional information on the hyper secret Majestic-12 (MJ-12, the government's ultimate UFO-information control and policy group) and gain special influence through their collective power. This elite group of roughly a dozen individuals working on national security assignments gave themselves code names, using mostly bird names.

Collectively, they came to be called the "aviary."

The relationship of Aviary members to MJ-12 group is murky. More than one UFO researcher estimates that some overlap in membership has occurred, in other words that MJ-12 has quietly infiltrated the Aviary to keep it under control. Dr. Steven Greer, Director of CSETI, has reported that the MJ-12 Group is now designated PI- 40. This hyper classified group deals with the most sensitive compartmented information regarding extraterrestrials and is so covert a special-access program that, reportedly, the President and Congress exercise no control over it and know of it only through rumor. Dick D'Amato, National and International Security Specialist for Senator Robert Byrd and a member of the N.S.C., stated in 1991 that an incredibly powerful "black arm" of the government has been keeping UFO information secret and has also been illegally spending enormous sums of money in this operation. D'Amato said that the NSC is trying to identify this "blackarm." Ironically, the answer may be right under their noses. It is quite possible, that PI-40 exists within a highly, compartmented, special-access program, yet with informal informational links to the National Security Council's "5240" (Black Projects) Committee. While there may be some overlap between the Aviary and the PI-40 group, they remain two separate entities. PI-40 is clearly at the top; it is the policy and decision group which has orchestrated the UFO cover-up since 1947, simultaneously releasing little fragments of UFO/ET information to gradually condition the American public to the slowly-dawning realization of UFO reality. Leaked reports from sources close to some Aviary members, suggest that there is a split within the group (which may well mirror a split within PI-40). On one side are Aviary members who feel that information about UFO and ET contacts should be broadly disclosed. They feel that the public is ready for this information and generally can handle it. Others within the Aviary resist such disclosure.

They do not want to lose the power their "information monopoly" gives them. They do not welcome close public scrutiny of their role in the UFO cover-up, either. Additionally, some have reportedly engaged in illegal and sometimes injurious projects and operations. The split over disclosure is creating a climate in which leaks are increasing, as some try to force disclosure and establish a track record for themselves of (belated) candor with the American public. Most Aviary members appear to be well-intentioned scientists or former military or intelligence officers with careers spanning the Cold War, who no doubt sincerely believe that secrecy about UFOs was once vital.

Following is a list of reported Aviary members:

BLUE JAY: Dr. Christopher "Kit" Green, MD, Ph.D; Chief, Biomedical Sciences Department, General Motors, former head of the CIA's UFO files at the "Weird Desk."

SEA GULL: Bruce Maccabee, Ph.D., research scientist in optical physics and laser weapons applications at the U.S. Naval Surface Weapons Lab, Maryland; MUFON physics/photo- interpretive consultant and prolific author of andconsultant expert on selected "leaked" or disinformational UFO cases/ topics.

PELICAN: Ron Pandolfi, CIA Deputy Director for the Division of Science and Technology and current custodian of UFO files at the "Weird Desk"; may be involved in the White House initiative to promptly release UFO informationto the public.

OWL: Hal Puthoff, physicist with the Institute for Advanced Research in Austin, Texas, who specializes in Zero-Point Energy, a quantum/resonance physics phenomenon with reported potential for above-unity ("free") energy.

PENGUIN: John Alexander, Ph.D. in Death Sciences; Lt. Col. U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, which is undoubtedly the military cover for the National Security Agency, Col. Alexander is director of the Non-Lethal Weapons Department, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and has been reportedly involved in counter-intelligence remote viewing, psychic warfare, psychotronic and mind-control projects with military/security applications.

HAWK: Ernie Kellerstrauss, security cleared for UFO information; worked at Wright-Patterson AFB in the 1970s and reportedly lived with an extraterrestrial for a while.

CHICKADEE: Cmdr. C.B. Scott Jones, Ph.D., USN (Ret.), former officer with the Office of Naval intelligence and other agencies; 30 years service in U.S. intelligence overseas; involved in government research and development projects for the Defense Nuclear Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and other organizations; former aide to Sen. Clairborne Pell, who has had a long-standing interest in UFOs and the paranormal and has tried to arrange Congressional hearings on UFOs.

CONDOR: Capt. Bob Collins, USAF (Ret.); Special Agent, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, engaged in UFO-related intelligence operations, reportedly appeared clandestinely on the 1988 Kodak-produced network television disinformation program "UFO Cover-Up Live"

FALCON: Sgt. Richard "Dick" Doty, USAF (Ret.); Special Agent, Air Force Office of Special Investigations; reported to have engaged in UFO disinformation projects, including reportedly hoaxing TV producer Linda Howe concerning availability of a tape showing a UFO landing at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. and allegedly waging psychological warfare on Albuquerque defense electronic contractor Paul Bennewitz.

CHICKEN LITTLE: Dan Smith, civilian UFO research/volunteer liaison among sources within the Central Intelligence Agency, the Congressional Intelligence Committees and civilian UFO researchers. Smith continually exchanges information and networks with key UFO researchers, serves as their interlocutor and shares their findings and his own with his sources at the CIA and on Capitol Hill. Undoubtedly, other "assets" and low- profile intermediaries of the Aviary operate for the UFO- interest community as its ears and surrogate mouthpieces among the general public.