Buffalo Ornithological
Society
Michael Hamilton,
President
52 Park Street, Buffalo,
NY 14201
716-881-6709
mhsr@webt.com
The Buffalo
Ornithological Society (BOS) was established in 1929 to promote the study of the birds of
the Niagara Frontier Region of New York State and Ontario Province. This region is rich in
bird life with over 380 species and 25 recognizable subspecies of birds recorded. The
Society is affiliated with the Buffalo Museum of Science and is also a member organization
of the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs.
Meetings are at 7:30
PM on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from September through June at the
Buffalo Museum of Science and feature speakers on topics related to birds. Opportunities
are provided to share field experiences and sightings and the meetings are open to the
public.
Each month half-day
or full-day field trips, led by experienced birders, survey regional and occasionally more
distant areas of special interest to birders, such as the Niagara River, the Tifft Nature
Preserve, the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, and the Lake Erie and Ontario Shores.
The Society sponsors
Dial-a-Bird (896-1271) at the Museum from which current birding information can be
obtained and reported. Through touch-tone commands the caller can receive reported
sightings for the previous week, "hot-line" reports of rare sightings which have
occurred during the current week or post a personal rare bird sighting for the use of
others.
Since 1935 the
Society publication, The Prothonotary, has provided a monthly summary of regional
bird activity, relevant weather and a list of noteworthy records together with articles,
field trip reports, and meeting and field trip schedules.
For over sixty years
the Society has also conducted region-wide counts of birds in April, May and October.
Hundreds of local birders participate in each of these activities and their records
provide invaluable information about changes in bird distribution and populations over the
years. Members also take part in a number of National Audubon Society Christmas Bird
Counts, Fish and Wildlife Service Breeding Bird Censuses, and the January Waterfowl Count
for the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs.
Anyone with an
interest in wild birds, and associated scientific and social activities is encouraged to
attend Society meetings (see above) or field trips and to apply for membership. Contact
Karen Landau, Chairperson, Membership Committee at 716-941-3869 or Michael Davis
,
Chairman, Field Trip Committee at 716-874-2721.
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