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Birds of a Feather - Flock to Ontario!

Because of its vast size and varying climates, Ontario is one of the best provinces for bird watching.  Ontario has almost 500 different species of native birds.  While it is lovely to just be in nature and observe the birds, actually identifying the species of the birds you find is at the very heart of bird watching. This free guide contains tips to help you identify the birds you spot on your travels. 

Bird watching is a very reasonably priced hobby, all that is required is a pair of binoculars, a camera with a very good zoom lens and some good bug spray! Then, once you are equipped, you can practice the five "S"s of bird identification:  Size, Shape, Shade (or colour), Song and Sweep (migration patterns). 


Email us to find out more about bird watching in Ontario at birdy@ontariobirds.ca


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HOTSPOTS CONTENT
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Here are some places of interest for bird lovers within a 2 hour drive from Western University:

1. Long Point, Port Rowan, Ontario
Long Point Bird Observatory is the oldest bird observatory in North America.  It  advances the sound and ethical banding principles and techniques promoted by the North American Banding Council.  Most mornings in the spring and in the fall, as long as it is not raining, anyone can come and watch the daily bird banding demonstrations. This is not only fascinating but it is also free to the public! During the banding you will get to see the birds up close and see how the birds are captured for the banding. In August they have workshops and internships for children interested in bird. 

2. Point Pelee National Park, Leamington, Ontario
Point Pelee Park is one of the best locations to see bird migration.  It is a small area of land that attracts a wide diversity of birds during each species’ annual migration.  More than 350 different species of birds have been observed in the Point Pelee Birding Area. The park has more than 20KM of trails for bird watchers. Every year Point Pelee Park host the "Festival of Birds" in early May.  During this time they host many events just for bird watchers such as twilight birding hikes and birding by boat and the basics of birding. 

3. The Canadian Raptor Conservatory, Vittoria, Ontario
The Canadian Raptor Conservatory is an organization whose goal is to educate Canadians about birds of prey.  They offer live shows and run events for all levels of school children. They are one of the largest captive breeding projects in the world. They also care for sick and injured birds and help return the birds to the wild if possible. They help control bird populations, where rather than killing birds, they use scare tactics to help birds learn to avoid certain areas such as airports. The Canadian Raptor Conservation even provides trained birds for TV shows and movies. For example, they supplied two Great Horned Owls for an Ashton Kutcher movie. 




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MUST SEE BIRDS CHECK LIST PAGE CONTENT
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Here are a few birds on our "Must See" check list for Ontario bird watchers: 

Birds listed in Alphabetical Order
Birds listed in Categorized Order

Alphabetical Order

-American Robin
-Blue Jay
-Canada Jay
-Canadian Goose
-Common Loon
-Common Raven
-Downy Woodpecker
-Eastern Bluebird
-Great Blue Heron
-Great Gray Owl
-Mallard
-Mute Swan
-Northern Cardinal
-Peregrine Falcon
-Pileated Woodpecker
-Red Tailed Hawk
-Red-bellied Woodpecker
-Snowy Owl



Categorized Order

Birds of Prey
-Peregrine Falcon
-Snowy Owl
-Red Tailed Hawk
-Great Gray Owl

Woodpeckers
-Downy Woodpecker
-Red-bellied Woodpecker
-Pileated Woodpecker

Duck, Geese, Loons and Waterfowl
-Common Loon
-Canadian Goose
-Mallard
-Mute Swan
-Great Blue Heron

Thrushes
-American Robin
-Eastern Bluebird

Cardinals
-Northern Cardinal

Crows, Jays and Magpies
-Blue Jay
-Canada Jay
-Common Raven


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TOP 3 ONTARIO BIRDS FUN FACTS PAGE CONTENT
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Here are 3 birds from Ontario that I find interesting/beautiful/fascinating.

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