Bird-Related Societies
     and Associations

Association and Society Websites

Bird-related organizations address issues from supporting hobbyists to lobbying the government and raising funds for conservation of natural habitats. Some societies are regional or national; others address birds from a global perspective. The following list includes some of the largest societies and associations related to birds and bird watching:

• Audubon Society
  The largest organization with a focus on birds. The Audubon spends more effort on conservation and government lobbying than on directly supporting the hobby of birding. Membership is near 500,000.
• American Birding Association
  The primary U.S. association focused on the hobby of bird watching. The ABA publishes the official North American bird list used by serious listers.
• RSPB
  The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is the primary bird conservation society in the U.K. It rivals the Audubon in size and considering the relatively smaller U.K. population, has a very high percentage of citizens as members. Bird watching is a very popular pastime in the U.K.
• Birdlife International
  An international bird society that counts many of the major national societies as its members. Birdlife coordinates efforts across national boundaries. This is a particularly important role as the health of bird populations often requires solutions that spread across national divisions.
• American Ornithologists' Union
  The largest organization in the "New World" devoted to the scientific study of birds.
• American Bird Conservancy
  A society focused on conserving birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.
• Association of Field Ornithologists
  One of the world's major societies of professional and amateur ornithologists dedicated to the scientific study and dissemination of information about birds in their natural habitats.