The Tennessee Ornithological Society (TOS), of which NTOS is a part, was founded in 1915 in Nashville, making it the oldest conservation group in the state. TOS members are active on the state and local level with regular state meetings, summer forays, seasonal bird counts, winter raptor surveys, and the annual Christmas count.

Members also take part in numerous projects including breeding bird surveys, banding programs, point counts and monitoring Bluebird and Purple Martin trails. Many activities are in cooperation with other conservation groups and wildlife organizations such as Partners in Flight, the National Wildlife Federation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

NTOS Members Receive:

• The Newshawk, a newsletter detailing program, meetings, field trips, bird sightings of special interest, and other local information. The Newshawk is distributed by e-mail in January, April, July, and October.
• A quarterly newsletter from the Tennessee Ornithological Society, The Tennessee Warbler, regarding state meetings, special projects, and news from other TOS chapters around the state
• The quarterly journal, The Migrant which contains full-length articles, official compilations of bird counts, book reviews, notable sightings, and other aspects of Tennessee bird life.