Maryland Ornithological Society

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Maryland Ornithological Society

MOS is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to birding, education and bird conservation in Maryland. DO NOT be rude. NO fighting or name-calling.

Welcome to the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) Facebook Group. MOS is a nonprofit, statewide organization of people who are interested in birds and nature. Founded in 1945 and incorporated in 1956, MOS serves to promote the study, enjoyment and conservation of birds. MOS provides educational opportunities in bird and nature study, by supporting research on birds and bird habitats, and by hel

ping record and
publish observations of bird life. MOS also maintains a system of sanctuaries to encourage the conservation of birds and bird habitat. MOS provides scholarships in bird study to students and educators. MOS has 15 chapters located throughout the state. Individual chapters sponsor field trips and other excursions to observe birds in their natural habitats. They also provide monthly meetings free to the public with interesting talks on topics of interest to birders. For information on chapter locations and how to join MOS see:

http://www.mdbirds.org/about/chapters/chapters.html . A membership registration form
can be downloaded athttp://www.mdbirds.org/about/membership/join.pdf . WHAT IT IS

The MOS Facebook Group is a quick stop for accessing general information about upcoming MOS and chapter activities. It also provides a place to share ideas and suggestions that would be of help to birds and birders in Maryland. It’s
a place to post alerts on conservation-related events, developments, and legislative issues of concern. WHAT IT IS NOT

The MOS Facebook Group is NOT a venue for reporting bird sightings or posting photographs of sightings. Independent of MOS, two very fine services have been created for this purpose -- a Google Group (www.MDBirding.com)
and a Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/MDBirding/). Interested birders are strongly encouraged to join or visit those sites frequently. The MOS Facebook Group is NOT a place for promoting your business or selling your
products. All spam, sales pitches, or questionable posts will be deleted. Any person violating the posting guidelines repeatedly will be removed from the group. GUIDELINES FOR POSTING

WHEN POSTING A MEETING OR FIELD TRIP NOTICE OR ACTION ALERT, please include:

--WHERE: Give the location (address of event, meeting place, or area of concern).

--WHEN: Provide the date and time for an event, legislative hearing, etc., when applicable.

--WHAT: Describe the issue, concern, or event.

--WHO: Provide contact info for the responsible party.

--ATTACHMENTS: Photos and Videos are welcome if relevant to illustrate the event or
issue. If the media is not yours, please give
credit where credit is due. Respectful differences of opinion are welcome and desired. A different viewpoint can be enlightening. If you have a question... ask! If you have an idea for a new or different field trip or law or…you name it... share! If you have a great story or interesting topic... share! We do ask that, as much as possible, members keep the subjects Maryland-related. While conservation issues may go well beyond our state, let’s limit the scope to avoid being overwhelmed. But if another State has a program that you think would work well in Maryland, please share your thoughts! Let's all make this group an asset and resource for all those interested in the study of birds and their habitats, and bird conservation in Maryland. Thank you.

06/01/2026

This week’s species highlight is the black-crowned night heron! No, this isn’t a photo, they actually do stand this still 😝

The black-crowned night heron is the most widespread heron species in the world, found on five of the seven continents! True to its name, they are most active in the evening and night hours, spending the daytime tucked away at a roost, but they become more diurnal during the breeding season. Listen for their flat “quok!” calls, often given in flight when heading to a nighttime feeding area!

🎥: Kojo Baidoo

05/25/2026

The next MOS Board Meeting will be held in the Cylburn Arboretum greenhouse classroom on Saturday, June 6 from 10 AM to noon! Board meetings are open to ALL MOS members; if you are unable to attend, the meeting minutes will be available online on our website (link in bio).

We hope to see you there!

📸: Northern Parula by Kojo Baidoo

05/20/2026

This week’s MOS Species Highlight is the solitary sandpiper! This migratory visitor passes through Maryland in both spring and fall, breeding in Canada and Alaska and wintering in South Americ. As its name suggest, it is often found alone or in small groups, preferring not to form large flocks like some other shorebird species. This isn’t the only way in which solitary sandpipers are unique; while most birds in their family nest on the ground, they are one of only two shorebirds to nest in trees, raising their young in old songbird nests in remote boreal forests! That’s a far cry from the parking lot puddle this bird visited for a brief moment this month!

🎥: Kojo Baidoo

05/08/2026

We’re in the thick of spring warbler migration now! 👀🐤

Here are some tips to find them near you:

1️⃣ Get up early… OR try a different time of the day! ☀️
As you’ve probably heard, the morning is the best time to look for warblers! Like most songbirds, they are nocturnal migrants, which means they’re eager to forage and replenish their energy first thing. Focus on trees where the rising sun hits first, especially on colder mornings, because insects will be more active in the sunlight and attract warblers. However, it’s not totally necessary to get out right at dawn! Migrants can be active throughout the day even if they aren’t actively singing. Sometimes, afternoon or evening outings can be productive, especially if there was inclement weather early. The same spot you birded in the morning can even yield a completely different crop of birds later in the day!

2️⃣ Try to pick up their songs and calls! 🎶
Warblers are quite vocal in the spring, so a great way to locate them is by detecting the songs of enthusiastic males. However, they can be variable, high-pitched, and hard to pick out in a morning chorus, so using a phone app like Merlin can help with finding and identifying them!

3️⃣ Pick a birding spot with different habitats and vegetation structure! 🌱
Not every warbler species likes big, tall trees, especially during migration! Birding a location with several habitat types, including second-growth areas with shorter trees or thickets, taller canopy trees, and even wetlands, will increase the number of warblers (and other migrants!) you see.

4️⃣Seek out the locals! 🐥
Migrating warblers often associate with local insect-eating songbirds because those birds know the best places to find food! If you hear the calls of chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and/or gnatcatchers and find a mixed feeding flock, chances are that some warblers will be mixed in too!

Let us know what warbler-finding tips have worked for you! ⬇️

📸 in order: Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-capped Chickadee by Kojo Baidoo

05/05/2026

If you guessed the summer tanager for our MOS , you were spot on! 🎉

This species is a stunner— adult males are the only North American birds with completely red plumage from head to toe... or tail! Females are all-yellow, while first-summer males are a mottled mix of both colors. Despite its unmistakable appearance, it can easily disappear from view in the canopy, so to track one down listen for its sharp “pickituck!” calls or its sweet song, which is often likened to a robin with a sore throat. Summer tanagers are southern specialties, and Maryland is considered to be one of the northern extents of their range. They inhabit open deciduous or mixed pine-oak forests, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the state!

🎥: Kojo Baidoo

05/04/2026

Our MOS is a mystery... for now! 👀

Listen closely: can you guess the bird from its call in this video? Here's a few hints: adult males of this species are the ONLY North American birds with completely red plumage, and Maryland is considered to be one of the northern extents of their range! For the official reveal, come back tomorrow... OR head over to our new Instagram account right now ! (https://www.instagram.com/mos_birds)

🎥: Kojo Baidoo

04/30/2026

It’s the end of April, which means the peak of spring migration is near! Let us know in the comments: what’s your favorite spot to go birding during spring migration in Maryland? 🌱

📸: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher by Kojo Baidoo

04/27/2026

Our MOS is the Louisiana waterthrush! Despite its name, this species is a warbler, and it tends to be one of the earliest migrants in its family. Its boisterous, descending song can be heard near forest streams and rivers by late March, and it is also an early fall migrant, vacating breeding territory in July and August. So, if you haven’t seen one yet, now’s your time!

🎥: Kojo Baidoo

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day from us here at MOS! 🌎✨

What better way is there to celebrate today than getting outside and finding some birds? You’re likely to be greeted by some recent spring arrivals, such as this common yellowthroat, so don’t forget to grab your binoculars!

📸: Kojo Baidoo

Address

Baltimore, MD

Website

http://mdbirds.org/, https://linktr.ee/mos_birds

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