A Tribute to Bill Oddie – 27th July 2026

We are terribly sad to learn of the passing of Bill Oddie and our hearts go out to his family and friends who will be heartbroken by this news. 

Whilst so many know him as a comic, entertainer and brilliant naturalist, we in the West Midland Bird Club, know him as one of our own and as a keen lifelong birder.  In fact, few people have had such a long, distinguished and enduring association with the West Midland Bird Club as Bill Oddie.

Bill's love affair with birds began during his childhood in Birmingham, where the parks, reservoirs and countryside of the West Midlands became the proving ground for a remarkable young naturalist.  His enthusiasm, dedication and skill were evident from an early age.  So much so that, from 1956, when he was just fifteen years old, his name was already appearing in the pages of the West Midland Bird Club's Annual Bird Report as the finder of noteworthy birds across our region.  It was the beginning of a relationship with the Club that has now spanned more than seven decades.

In 1991, Bill accepted the invitation to become a Vice President of the West Midland Bird Club, recognising both his achievements as one of Britain's foremost ornithologists and naturalists, and his continuing affection for the Club where his birding journey had begun.  Eight years later, in 1999, he became our President, a role he has held with warmth, generosity and great distinction.

Although Bill's career took him onto television screens, radio programmes, bookshelves and stages across the country, he never lost sight of his roots. He has always remained, at heart, the enthusiastic Birmingham birder who delighted in finding an unexpected rarity, sharing a memorable encounter, or encouraging others to discover the extraordinary wildlife on their own doorstep.

His influence on British birdwatching is impossible to overstate.  Through his broadcasting, writing and campaigning, Bill inspired generations of people to look up, to listen and to care. At a time when birdwatching was often seen as a specialist pursuit, he showed that it could be joyful, accessible and endlessly rewarding. Countless members of our Club, and indeed countless birdwatchers throughout Britain, owe their first spark of interest to Bill's infectious enthusiasm and unmistakable sense of humour.

For the West Midland Bird Club, however, Bill has always been more than a celebrated naturalist.  He is one of our own. From the young teenager whose discoveries appeared in our Annual Bird Report, to our Vice President and, since 1999, our President, his story is inseparable from the story of our Club itself.

Throughout his presidency, Bill has been an inspirational figurehead, reminding us of the values that have always defined it: careful observation, shared knowledge, friendship and a deep commitment to the conservation of birds and their habitats.

Everyone at the West Midland Bird Club is immensely proud that one of Britain's most influential naturalists began his birdwatching journey with us but we are heartbroken to hear of his passing.  He has left multiple legacies across different fields but for many of us, it is the inspiring enthusiasm for wild nature and particularly birds that he shared with us all that many of us will remember and be forever grateful for.