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 changing fortunes of Curlew Numenius arquata in the heart of England in the past 100 years
This new paper, published on World Curlew Day on 21 April 2022, describes the current and historical status of the Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata in an area of 1200 square kilometres centred on Banbury. Click here to link to the paper Read more ...
13 May 2024 - Indoor Meeting at 7.30pm
Curlew River - Jan Guilbride
This meeting will focus on presenting an update on BOS Curlews and a discussion on BOS conservation. Read more ...
Long Day Count: 4 or 5 May 2024
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 ...