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Bird Studies Canada (BSC) recently entered a new phase of its history, signalled by the official approval (in April 1998) of revised Supplementary Letters Patent and By-Law Number 1. BSC builds upon the wealth of experience from the Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO), which continues as an integral part of BSC. How did BSC grow out of LPBO? And where did LPBO come from? The following history of the organisation answers these two questions.
In 1960, Long Point Bird Observatory was formed as a committee of the OBBA. In its first several years the organisation's affairs were governed solely by the OBBA. In February 1968, LPBO was incorporated as a separate legal organisation administered by its own Board of 10-12 directors, three of whom were appointed annually by OBBA. This separation from OBBA recognized that LPBO's potential for further growth would be enhanced if it developed independently. In LPBO's first constitution, various categories of Associate Membership were established to recognize and encourage individual support but associate members were non-voting supporters only; the legal members of the organisation were the Board directors, and further constitutional amendments simply required a 2/3 vote in favour at a Board meeting specifically called for that purpose. In 1974, a new LPBO constitution was adopted by the Board, and the number of OBBA appointments was reduced from three to one, again recognizing the increased capacity of the Observatory to manage its own affairs. In a 1989 revision to the constitution "Associate" members of LPBO became the legal members of the organisation, and from then on, constitutional changes required a 2/3 vote in favour by the members. In the early 1960s, efforts were focused on establishing field facilities on Long Point: at Breakwater (10 km from the nearest road) and the eastern Tip of the spit (32 km from the nearest road), and on acquiring, and maintaining, four-wheel drive transportation along the spit’s sandy beach. As early as 1961, standard approaches to banding and counting of birds were being implemented, forming the beginnings of our migration monitoring procedures. Until 1964, all staffing of field stations was by volunteers, and as good as that was, it was a constant challenge to coordinate complete daily coverage of the spring and fall migration periods. The Board recognized that the migration seasons would be much better covered with continuous effort and so in 1965, LPBO hired its first seasonal warden. Ever since, the Tip station has been staffed more or less continuously from early April until late October.
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw an expansion of projects being conducted at Long Point, primarily through the activities of graduate students, studying deer, snakes, frogs, fish, shorebirds, and swallow diets. In 1969, LPBO's first newsletter was published, and a permanent grid of Tree Swallow boxes was established at the Tip. The increased research activity placed high demands on the Tip station, and resulted in the construction of a new laboratory building in 1972. 1972 also saw the first annual meeting of supporters, the establishment of an Endowment Fund and the publication of a report on the first 10 years of activity.
In 1974, the Board took a major step forward by hiring its first full-time employee, Dr. David Hussell, as Executive Director. By 1975, LPBO had moved into its first mainland headquarters in the old Backus home north of Port Rowan. Ontario. The retention of a full-time employee greatly increased LPBO's capacity to conduct ornithological research: during the next eight years, provincial surveys of feeder birds, herons, loons and the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas were all implemented. In addition, the Observatory grew substantially in other ways. Bird Study Workshops for teenagers were organised beginning in 1975; the first Birdathon was held in 1976 and the first Baillie Fund grants were awarded in 1978. The additional profile and stature generated by all this work brought additional resources to the organisation; by 1981 annual operating revenues exceeded $100,000 for the first time. Nevertheless, the attention paid to the development of these off-site projects and the Observatory generally resulted in few local bird projects being implemented. Two other significant developments during David Hussell's tenure as Executive Director were the establishment of LPBO's first international project – the Great Lakes Beached Bird Survey – and the investigation of the Old Cut area as a potential new field station at the base of Long Point. In 1982, David Hussell stepped down as Executive Director. That same year, a new position of full-time Migration Program Manager was created to replace the seasonal warden. The 1980s were a period of many transitions for the organisation. LPBO had four Executive Directors during this 10-year period, and four Migration Program Managers. Membership peaked at 703 in 1983/84, and then declined to 553 by 1988. A storm in December 1985 destroyed all of the remaining facilities at the Tip station and greatly taxed the human and financial resources of the organisation. In 1988, the lighthouse at the Tip was automated and the lighthouse keepers, whom we had relied on steadily since 1960 for all manner of support, left us on our own. But the mettle of the organisation shone through these transitions.
The period since has seen a remarkable growth and consolidation of the organisation's programs. Since 1989, two new programs have been implemented on Long Point (waterfowl studies and breeding bird censuses); numerous local studies and provincial and regional surveys were maintained, repeated or initiated, and the organisation expanded its activity both nationally and abroad. Trends in population levels of migrants passing through Long Point were computed regularly. Membership in the organisation doubled, and operating revenues doubled and doubled again. The organisation acquired new facilities at the Tip, a new property at Old Cut, and a new headquarters site on the mainland. Our capacity to deliver good science and good volunteer projects increased as we attracted new full-time staff. We became the official home of the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund, and joint partner, with the Canadian Nature Federation, in BirdLife International. In 1994, the Board established a national advisory committee (Council) of prominent Canadian ornithologists and conservation partners to advise the Board on its burgeoning national and international programs. At first, the Council was envisaged as perhaps evolving into a separate organisation from LPBO, but over the next few years it became apparent that the best way of ensuring the continuation and growth of LPBO’s local, regional, national and international programs was to create a new organisation called Bird Studies Canada. In effect, the Board proposed to change the legal name of the organisation from LPBO to BSC. This required application for Supplementary Letters Patent from the government and such an application needed to be supported by at least 2/3 of the legal members of the organisation. This proposal generated considerable debate. In addressing various concerns, the Board proposed to enshrine the continuation of LPBO within the objects of the organisation, establish a permanent committee to advise on LPBO operations, continue a membership class of LPBO supporters and establish a special account within the Endowment Fund to support LPBO initiatives. With these protections in place, the membership, at a special meeting called for this purpose on 25 January 1998, voted 80% in favour of applying for Supplementary Letters Patent and 89% in favour of adopting By-Law No. 1 as the new constitution of the organisation. With the granting of Supplementary Letters Patent on 24 April 1998, Bird Studies Canada was born.
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History of 
In
1959, hardy members of the Ontario Bird Banding Association (OBBA) made several trips out
along the Long Point sandspit in Lake Erie with the view of starting a bird banding
station on the peninsula. 
In addition to
migration coverage, projects began on resident species. Tree Swallow research started at
the Tip in 1964, and the first breeding bird census on Long Point was conducted in 1965.
Other projects in the 1960s focused on flycatcher and shorebird migration, the energy
requirements of nocturnal migrants attracted to the Long Point lighthouse, and studies of
breeding kingbirds.
1973 saw the
expansion of the breeding bird census project to cover additional habitats on Long Point.
But the early 1970s were also a time of trial for LPBO: the main Tip cabin was destroyed
by fire in 1973, and high water levels on Lake Erie forced a change from beach to water
travel.
In 1983, LPBO acquired the
Old Cut site; the Tip cabin was largely rebuilt by 1987; LPBO acquired its first computer
in 1986; and the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey expanded to cover the continent as Project
FeederWatch in 1987. By 1988, new projects had been implemented locally (Hooded Warblers),
provincially (Ontario Rare Breeding Bird Program) and internationally (Cuba), and
operating revenues approached $1/4 million. The construction of the Old Cut Field Station
and Visitor Centre was nearly complete by year end.