Birds
The study of our local birds is the lifeblood of the BOS and we encourage all members to participate in bird recording, whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced birder.
The BOS maintains a list of all of the species seen within the BOS observeration area - the Systematic List. This is used to guide the records submitted for each species.
Information on the birds within the BOS is collected by a series of surveys and ongoing observations. See the Fieldwork page for further details.
Members receive a monthly newsletter containing details on recent notable bird sightings, along with other local bird related news. Historic newsletters can be viewed here: Newsletters
Bird Atlas
The BOS contributed to the BTO Bird Atlas 2007-2011 via its ongoing surveys (see Fieldwork) and specific contribution by our members. Our Oxforshire data has been collated along with other regional surveys to produce the Thames and Chiltern Bird Atlas. This atlas presents Abundance and Distribution maps on a finer scale than that of the national BTO atlas.
Bird Watching Sites
The BOS covers a diverse range of habitats, from low level floodlands of the river Cherwell to the heights of Edge Hill and the Cotswolds. It also spans three major river systems of England - the Thames, Severn and Great Ouse. For a map of the area, see BOS area map. Read more ...
Systematic List
The BOS Systematic List is a record of all the bird species that have been observed in the BOS area, currently standing at 277 species as of January 2021. The list and the status of each species up to 2012 is published in the book Birds of the Heart of England by Trevor Easterbrook. The list excludes sub-species, escapes and unverified records. The species are listed in the current BOU (IOC) order. BOS use the British vernacular species name, mostly the same as that listed by the BTO. Read more ...
The BOS Curlew Recovery Project
UK currently holds approximately a quarter of the global Curlew population, with estimates for England of about 30,000 pairs. National monitoring data show that this population has been in long-term decline since the 1970s and has almost halved in the UK over the last 20 years. In lowland southern England, the population has declined to about 500 pairs, with many colonies on the verge of local extinction. Read more ...
12 May 2025 - Indoor Meeting at 7.30pm
Uzbekistan: Birding the Silk Road in Central Asia - Alan Peter
A spectacular and little-visited country lying on the famous Silk Road that once connected the East with the West and one of the group of former Soviet republics which border it on three sides - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan while it’s southern border touches Afghanistan. Read more ...
Long Day Count: 3 or 4 May 2025
The Long Day Count is carried out by teams of observers in each of the twelve 10km squares recording the number of bird species seen during a maximum of 12 daylight hours on the second Sunday in May each year. Read more ...