The Waterbird Society, formerly known as the Colonial Waterbirds Society, is a United States based ornithological society, focusing on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of waterbirds. It was founded in 1976 as the Colonial Waterbird Group, becoming the Colonial Waterbird Society in 1986 and acquiring its current name in 1999 to reflect an expanding interest in all waterbirds. It publishes the journal Waterbirds, with the subtitle The International Journal of Waterbird Biology. It makes two international awards, the Robert Cushman Murphy Prize for excellence in avian sciences, and the Kai Curry-Lindahl Prize for excellence in conservation biology. The Waterbird Society is a member of the Ornithological Council.