Join Us
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Whether you’re new to birdwatching, a keen ornithologist or somewhere in between, the SOC will help you further your knowledge and enjoyment of Scotland’s wonderful birdlife.

Who are we? On the one hand, a birdwatching club
The SOC is Scotland’s bird club. We bring together like-minded individuals with a passion for birds, nature and conservation through a programme of talks, outings, conferences and via the Club’s quarterly journal, Scottish Birds.
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On the other, a network of volunteers across Scotland, gathering vital, impartial information about our wild birds
Monitoring and recording is our bread and butter. For more than 75 years we’ve been watching over Scotland’s birds, recording their numbers, presence or absence all over Scotland through the SOC’s network of Local Recorders and dedicated volunteers. The data we collect is then made available to organisations such as the RSPB, and is one of the first points of reference in informed conservation planning. It is also available to conservationists, planner and developers and is a critical tool for future bird conservation.

Why do we do this?
Many people consider birds to be the litmus test for the health of the environment. By recording which species we’ve seen when and where, how many we saw as well as what we didn’t see, scientists can gain a greater understanding of the effects pollution, habitat loss, climate change and modern farming methods are having on our wild birds.

The SOC is Scotland’s bird club with 15 branches around the country and a growing membership of over 3000. Find out more about us… click here

To join online now - click here.