''Wingspan'' was the quarterly membership

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

of the

Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU), now part of BirdLife Australia, was Australia's largest non-government, non-profit, bird conservation organisation. It was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native b ...

(RAOU). It was first issued in 1991, replacing the ''RAOU Newsletter''. When Birds Australia and

Bird Observation and Conservation Australia Bird Observation & Conservation Australia (BOCA) was a club established on 12 April 1905 by members of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU) in Melbourne, Victoria, as the Bird Observers Club. Although inactive for many years, in 19 ...

merged in 2012 to form

BirdLife Australia BirdLife Australia is a not-for-profit organisation advocating for native birds and the conservation of their habitats across Australia. BirdLife Australia is the trading name of the company limited by guarantee formed through the merger of tw ...

, ''Wingspan's'' run ended, and was replaced with ''

Australian Birdlife ''Australian Birdlife'' is the quarterly membership magazine of BirdLife Australia, the Australian partner of BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve bir ...

'' magazine. ''Wingspan'' was a glossy colour magazine that contained articles on wild birds and birding in Australasia and adjacent regions. Regular content included articles on bird identification, biology and conservation, as well as reviews, letters and coverage of the RAOU's projects and membership activities. It was partly supported by advertising, most of which is related to birding, such as for

binoculars Binoculars or field glasses are two refracting telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes (binocular vision) when viewing distant objects. Most binoculars are sized to be held ...

and

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorption, or Reflection (physics), reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally, it was an optical instrument using len ...

s, holiday accommodation, and bird touring. It was distributed to RAOU members. It was repeatedly recognised in the Whitley Awards, as "Best Periodical" in 2007, 2008 and 2011, "Outstanding Periodical" in 2006, "Best Specialist Periodical" in 2000 and 2003, and as "Best Zoological Periodical" in 2001. Birds Australia also produced a number of other publications as supplements to Wingspan magazine. These were circulated to Birds Australia members along with the magazine, and included the annual

State of Australia's Birds ''The State of Australia's Birds'' (SOAB) is a report series that tracks trends in Australia's bird populations. History 2003–2010 From 2003 to 2010, this was delivered as an annual report produced by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Uni ...

reports, as well as occasional specialised publications, such as ''Birds on Farms'' (2000), ''Shorebird Conservation in Australia'' (2002) and ''Fire and Birds'' (2005).

''Australian Birdlife''

'' has been the membership magazine of

since March 2012, replacing Birds Australia's ''Wingspan'' magazine and BOCA's ''Bird Observer'' after the two organisations merged in 2012. The magazine is issued quarterly, and contains articles about Australia's native birds, their conservation and the people who work to save them. Regular content includes features on bird identification, species profiles, biology and conservation, as well as reviews, gardening and photography columns, and coverage of BirdLife Australia projects and membership activities. It is distributed to BirdLife Australia members as part of their annual subscription and is partly supported through birding-related advertising for accommodation, binoculars and bird tours.

External links

* {{Authority control 1991 establishments in Australia 2011 disestablishments in Australia Defunct magazines published in Australia English-language magazines Journals and magazines relating to birding and ornithology Magazines established in 1991 Magazines disestablished in 2011 Magazines published in Melbourne Quarterly magazines published in Australia

''Australian Birdlife''

See also

External links