The study of birds has always been a major interest of the Society and many members and supporters donated bird skins for the museum’s collections during the Society’s first fifty years. The Ornithological Section was formed in 1963 by Valerie Thom, a well-known Scottish ornithologist and author of Birds in Scotland.
Section members recorded their local bird sightings and published the information in a regular bulletin until 2012. The bird records were submitted to local and national bird surveys such as wildfowl counts and the British Trust for Ornithology Bird Atlas. Members are now encouraged to make use of national recording forums such as the online BirdTrack.
The Section runs field trips and a winter lecture programme with contributions from outside experts and its own well-travelled members.