Objects
The BOC’s objects are to advance education in the subject of ornithology for the benefit of the public by promoting scientific discussion between members and others interested in ornithology and to facilitate the dissemination of scientific information concerned with ornithology, and in particular avian systematics, taxonomy and distribution.
Publications
The BOC produces a Bulletin four times a year. Up to the end of 2016 hard copies were sent to all members. However, from 2017 the Bulletin became an open access online-only publication available for viewing and download at BioOne (click on the button in the right sidebar). We will continue to list the table of contents of each issue at the Bulletin Index page where you will also find the contents from earlier issues.
NOTE: The latest issue of the BOC Bulletin (Vol. 140, No. 3 – September 2020) is now available for viewing or download. You can view the table of contents, abstracts and references, full text or downloadable PDFs of individual papers as well as the complete issue at the BioOne Complete website. You can also view the table of contents and download a PDF for the complete issue on the BOC website.
This issue contains nine papers of wide interest ranging from An updated checklist of the birds of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, with comments on new, rare, and unconfirmed species by François Sagot-Martin, Rafael Dantas Lima, José Fernando Pacheco, Jorge Bañuelos Irusta, Mauro Pichorim & David Maurice Hassett to Temminck’s Gallus giganteus; a gigantic obstacle to Darwin’s theory of domesticated fowl origin? by Hein van Grouw & Wim Dekkers and The immature plumage of Ocellated Poorwill Nyctiphrynus ocellatus (Caprimulgidae) by Thiago V. V. Costa & Johan Ingels.
Meetings update
Prof. Jon Fjeldså will discuss how new data and new analytic approaches are revealing new insights into the evolution of passerine birds.
We are very pleased to announce that the talk on Monday 16 November 2020 from 18.00 to 19.00 by Prof. Jon Fjeldså on The evolution of Passerine Birds Explained will now go ahead as an online event in collaboration with the Linnean Society. This talk is intended celebrate the 1,000th evening meeting of the BOC but will now be slightly ahead of the anniversary given the forced cancellation of previous 2020 meetings.
Prof. Jon Fjeldså will discuss how new data and new analytic approaches are revealing new insights into the evolution of passerine birds, and highlight remaining problem areas in resolving the tree of life. Prof Jon Fjeldså holds a MSc from Bergen University (Norway) and a Dr.Sci. from Copenhagen University, where he is now professor in biodiversity and in charge of the bird collections of the Zoological Museum.
This event will take place online using Zoom video-conferencing, and is free and open to all. However, registration is essential and will close 24 hours before the event begins. Visit the Upcoming Meetings page for more information about the talk, Prof. Fjeldså’s bio, and how to register.
The BOC holds regular meetings which, under normal circumstances, are mostly in central London (see the Meetings page for location and directions). The meetings are normally free and non-members are welcome.