BLZ was founded in 1951 as the Rhodesian Ornithological Society (ROS) then a branch of the Southern African Ornithological Society (now BirdLife South Africa). The ROS was reconstituted as the Ornithological Association of Zimbabwe (OAZ) in 1981. The OAZ became a Partner Designate in BirdLife International (BLI) in 1998. BLI is a global partnership of over 100 NGOs that have a common interest in the conservation of birds and biodiversity. We share its ideals and values and participate in its strategies and programmes particularly through the Council of the African Partnership (CAP) which meets annually to plan and coordinate these in the African region. Our UK partner, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds assists us with funding both for core activities and for our education and conservation programmes. In order to better reflect its new emphasis on conservation, OAZ changed its name to BirdLife Zimbabwe in 1999.

Our fundamental purpose is to promote the survival of birdlife in Zimbabwe and elsewhere for its intrinsic value and the enjoyment of future generations. Our major objectives are to conserve birds and their habitats, to increase awareness and enjoyment of birds through education and training and to use and develop a proven and professional base for the research and study of birds and their habitats.

The Mashonaland, Matabeleland, and the Eastern Districts Bird Club keep in touch with the membership at large through their regular activities, which are published in the BLZ Newsletter Babbler bimonthly, together with reports of outings and observations for the benefit of the members. New members and beginners are particularly welcome at meetings where the more experienced members enjoy sharing their knowledge. Our Journal Honeyguide is published twice a year.
The office has a staff complement of nine people running various projects in environmental education, conservation and research.

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