The Wilson Ornithological Society (WOS) is an ornithological

Ornithology

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...

 organization that was formally established in 1886 as the Wilson Ornithological Chapter of the Agassiz Association. It is based at the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

, Ann Arbor, USA. It was named after Alexander Wilson

Alexander Wilson

Alexander Wilson was a Scottish-American poet, ornithologist, naturalist, and illustrator.Wilson was born in Paisley, Scotland, the son of an illiterate distiller. In 1779 he was apprenticed as a weaver. His main interest at this time was in writing poetry...

, a prominent early American ornithologist. The name of the group later evolved through being generally known as the Wilson Ornithological Club (or just the Wilson Club) until it became the WOS in 1955. It publishes the Wilson Journal of Ornithology (previously the Wilson Bulletin). It is a member of the Ornithological Council

Ornithological Council

The Ornithological Council is an association of ornithological organisations based in the Americas involved in bird study and conservation. It was incorporated in Washington, D.C. in 1992 as a not-for-profit organization...

.

Awards

The premier award made by WOS is the Margaret Morse Nice Medal, first awarded in 1997, commemorating notable ornithologist Margaret Morse Nice

Margaret Morse Nice

Margaret Morse Nice was an American ornithologist who made an extensive study of the life history of the Song Sparrow and was author of Studies in the Life History of the Song Sparrow .-Early life:...

. The recipient gives the Plenary lecture at the WOS Annual Meeting.