The mission of the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) is to foster interaction and exchange of information among people interested in wild birds and the natural world, in order to encourage the enjoyment, study, and conservation of these birds. We, the members of MOS, stand firm in our conviction that the love of birds and the natural world can be found in all peoples; that everyone should be able to partake freely in the enjoyment and study of birds and the natural world; and that the conservation of birds and the natural world benefits us all.

We recognize that widespread inequities in our society have limited access to nature for too many people and have imposed a toll of environmental degradation upon too many. We resolve to do our part to address these inequities, by embracing equity, diversity, and inclusion in MOS, our membership, and our activities. Only by ensuring that our organization is welcoming to all people can we achieve our goal of fostering interaction among all people interested in wild birds, nature, and their conservation.

Do you enjoy birds and are interested in their conservation? Do you live in Montgomery County, neighboring counties or D.C.? The Montgomery Bird Club was established in 1964 and has more than 300 members, from beginner to expert birders and from teens to seniors. Why don’t you try us out?

What we offer

Several bird trips* each month from September through May, all free. They are led by people who know the birds and their habitats and enjoy sharing their knowledge. Trips are mostly local but sometimes take us to different counties or even to sites closed to the general public. During the trips we learn to find and identify birds, to observe their behavior and habitat, and to distinguish local residents from migrating birds.

An evening meeting* every month from September through May, free as well. We first enjoy meeting other members and viewing members’ bird photos. We then watch a presentation by club members or guests on bird research, conservation, travels etc. Recent presentations, for example, have taken us to Puerto Rico, Antarctica, Hawai’i, Panama and the Chesapeake Bay and have taught us a new way to identify Sparrows.  Our meetings are recorded and afterwards are accessible at our Vimeo Channel.

Special meetings*. The December holiday meeting features a quiz that tests our birding skills and sense of humor. In March, we host our Social at Woodend, the Chevy Chase home of the Audubon Naturalist Society. The setting is beautiful and the ambiance is warm and informal. We have dinner together, honor our member of the year and are treated to members’ best bird photos. In late Spring, our families gather for good food and birding at a daytime barbecue in a County Park.

Participation in the citizen science of bird counts* The best-known counts are the Christmas Bird Counts but there are several other counts, some from your backyard or immediate neighborhood. We are currently also participating in Maryland’s third Breeding Bird Atlas (2020-2024).

Several media publications to keep members informed of all these activities and of environmental concerns touching birds and people: a quarterly newsletter, The Chat; at least two email newsletters per month; and this website. Presentations are recorded and posted on our Vimeo channel for later viewing. Finally, MBC and MOS have Facebook pages.

* In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our activities have been modified. Outdoor activities such as bird trips and bird counts have been maintained, with necessary precautions. In-person indoor meetings have been replaced by virtual meetings on Zoom.

President: Scott Young
Vice-President: Emily Huang
Treasurer: Chris Wright
Secretary: Karen Cyr
Past President: Evelyn Ralston

Field Trips: Linda Friedland
Membership: Moira Davenport
Conservation: Gail Mackiernan

Ed Vigezzi

Mark England
Jim Ivett
Janet Millenson
Anne Mytych
Ed Vigezzi

Josephine Cox
Francesca Grifo
Roy Howard
Brooke Levey

Editor:  Stella Tea
Designer:  Pam Oves