About the Buffalo Ornithological Society

The Buffalo Ornithological Society, Inc. (BOS) was established in 1929 to promote the study of the birds of the Niagara Frontier Region, which includes Western New York and nearby, southeastern Ontario, Canada. This region is rich in bird life with over 380 species and 25 recognizable subspecies of birds recorded.

The BOS is a member of NYSOA, the New York State Ornithological Association.


Meetings

Our regular BOS meetings are held September through June on the second Wednesday of the month at the Buffalo Museum of Science at 7:00 PM. The last meeting in June is always a picnic at Tifft Nature Preserve.

Publications

The Prothonotary is our monthly publication. Each issue contains a summary of the prior month’s weather and noteworthy sightings in the study area.

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Field Trips

Information about upcoming field trips can be found on our Calendar or on the last page of The Prothonotary.

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Officers & Statisticians

The BOS currently has more than 200 members. Consider joining us! You can view the current list of BOS officers, council members, statisticians, and other BOS positions below.

Learn More »

image of the prothonotary

 Publications

The Prothonotary is our monthly publication. Each issue contains a summary of the prior month’s weather and noteworthy sightings in the study area. Articles or photos of interest to the membership may be submitted for consideration to the editor, Jack Skalicky, at [email protected] or sent by mail to:

178 N. Main St., Apt. #55,
Salt Lake City, UT 84103-2075

A sample issue of The Prothonotary can be downloaded from here:   Prothonotary: October, 2022

The BOS also publishes a Verification Date Guide and a Seasonal Checklist of the Birds of WNY.

Both publications are available for members only.

image of field trip group

 Field Trips

The BOS periodically schedules field trips for members and non-members alike. You don't need to belong to the BOS to join our field trips. Information about upcoming field trips can be found on our Calendar or on the last page of The Prothonotary.

Regularly scheduled field trips are made to the following locations:

  • Allegany State Park
  • Amherst State Park
  • Braddock Bay Hawk Watch
  • Buckhorn Island State Park - Purple Martin Roost
  • Dunkirk Harbor
  • Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
  • Lake Erie Shoreline
  • Lake Ontario Plains
  • Letchworth State Park
  • Montezuma NWR
  • Niagara River
  • Tifft Nature Preserve
  • Woodlawn Beach State Park

 BOS Officers and Council Members

The BOS currently has more than 200 members. Consider joining us! The current list of BOS officers, council members, statisticians, and other BOS positions are shown below.

 2024 Officers

President Beverly Seyler
Vice President Vicky Rothman
Treasurer Jason Van Etten
Recording Secretary Ulrike Carlino-MacDonald
Statisticians Mike Morgante
Willie D'Anna
Alec Humann
Archivist Audrey Horbett

 Council Members

2022 - 2024 Ulrike Carlino-MacDonald
Chris Hollister
Christina Rockwell
2023 - 2025 Jean Dickson
Bruce Hoover
Steve Pitt
2024 - 2026 Jennifer Caughel
Bill Massaro
Rob Sielaff

 Other Positions

Conservation Committee Marilyn Feuerstein
Event Coordinator Alec Humann
Membership Karen Lee Lewis
Noteworthy Record Compilation Joe Mitchell
Prothonotary Editor Jack Skalicky
Webmaster Sue Barth