Most provide services for members by way of educational courses, outings and social activities, and interesting magazines. The members' support in turn enables the organisations to undertake projects for the conservation of birds and their habitats. You are encouraged to join the respective clubs and organisations, as each added member is an added voice for bird conservation. BirdLife South Africa is a partner of BirdLife International which is a federation of more than 100 organisations worldwide, dedicated to bird conservation. In South Africa we have a membership of 6000, with a network of 11 regional branches who publish their own newsletters and who have extensive programmes of indoor meetings and outdoor field trips.
Most branches offer courses for birders ranging from beginners to specialists.
A list of the regional branches and affiliated bird clubs is given below. Birding Big Day , the nationwide birdwatching competition and fundraiser, is organised by Birdlife South Africa. The ADU is a research unit of the University of Cape Town and works in partnership with Birdlife South Africa in conducting large-scale bird surveys in which amateur birders are invited to participate. Their newsletter Bird Numbers is published 3 times a year and features news on the projects and short articles on birds, and can be ordered for R10 per issue. This project aims to establish which species are effectively conserved by generating a catalog of the birds which occur and breed in South African reserves.