Birds of Ontario

Birds of Ontario Specialties

Common Loon – National Bird of Canada – Provincial Bird of Ontario

  • Common loon
  • Canada warbler
  • Spruce grouse
  • Yellow-bellied sapsucker
  • Magnolia warbler
  • Little gull
  • Palm warbler
  • Chestnut-sided warbler
  • Swamp sparrow
  • Bay-breasted warbler
  • Hooded merganser
  • Yellow-rumped warbler
  • Red-eyed vireo
  • Black-backed woodpecker
  • Rusty blackbird
  • Boreal owl
  • Mourning dove
  • Broad-winged hawk
  • American woodcock

Ontario is bordered by Manitoba to the west, Quebec to the east, and the US states of Michigan, New York and Minnesota to the south. Ontario’s borders with the United States are natural – the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. It is bordered by Hudson Bay and James Bay on the north.

The Canadian Shield covers northern Ontario from Lake Superior to the Hudson Bay lowlands. Together the Canadian Shield and the Hudson Bay Lowlands cover 90 percent of the province’s 1,068,580 square kilometres of territory, but are home to only 10 percent of the population, as the land is largely musky wet lands and scrub cover. At its greatest point Ontario is 690 km wide and the longest distance north/south is 1,730 km. The highest point is 693 m above sea level.

The Carolinian forest zone covers most of the south western section. The most well-known geographic feature of this area is Niagara Falls. Point Pelee National Park is a peninsula that extends into Lake Erie and is the southernmost extent of Canada’s mainland.

Ontario contains the five Great Lakes: Superior, Erie, Michigan, Ontario and Huron, which are the world’s largest continuous body of fresh water.

Rare Bird Alert Hotlines

Simcoe County (705) 739-8585
Oshawa (905) 576-2738
Hamilton (905) 648-9537
Ottawa (613) 825-7444
Kingston (613) 549-8023
Sault Ste Marie (705) 256-2790
Timiskaming (705) 679-5030
Toronto & Area (416) 350-3000
Leslie St. Spit (416) 661-6600
London (519) 457-4593
Windsor/Detroit (810) 477-1360
Windsor/Point Pelee (519) 252-2473

Ontario Web Links

Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas

Federation of Ontario Naturalists

Where Do You Want To Go Birding in Ontario?

Birding Pals Ontario

4 Comments

  1. Hi

    I am wondering if you could get your members/readers to help. Here in Thunder Bay, the new Mckellar Island Bird Observatory is just starting out. The managers have entered the Observatory in the TBayTel For Good Contest whereby the regional Telecom company offers grants to worthy initiatives doing good in the community. However, it needs votes and the online voting runs until mid-June. A person can vote by entering an email address and then can vote everyday.

    If you could mention this to your members; it would be greatly appreciated and this money could really help in developing and supporting the new Mckellar Island Bird Observatory.

    To vote for the Mckellar Island Bird Observatory; go to https://www.tbaytelforgood.net/ideas/72

    Thanks,

    Mike Aylward
    Thunder Bay, Ontario.

  2. Hi,
    I am the event Coordinator for the Lindsay Ribfest and we were looking to have a mini-event within our headlining event in August 2014, where we supply basic bird houses for families to paint, decorate and place throughout the City of Kawartha Lakes. My question (and forgive me if it is a silly question) but, I would like to get someone to make a bird house that would be approproiate for the birds in our area and I have no idea what those birds would be, nor do I know where to get in touch with someone I can contract to make the needed number of bird houses for this event. If you could assist in anyway, I would really appreciate it – thanks!

  3. I feed birds and squirrels in my backyard every morning.I’ve seen Blue jays,mourning doves,some crows or ravens and many more .I love them all,the squirrels can get quite comical too! I live in EASTERN part of WINDSOR,ONTARIO,CANADA. These creatures are a big joy to me.I bought some “wild bird seed”,bird and squirrel food,peanut and mix for them plus I put bread out,and cut bread with peanut butter. I just want creatures share this earth and live in harmony with others ,Besides I love them all!

  4. In my back yard I have different varieties of birds like blue jays, woodperkers, crows, even a ravens has been seen(huge). But I aslo have these little birds they are medium brown with a white belly and can get very temper mental when you get close to their nest. Also their nest is made of little clumps of mud and grass. Can someone please help me identify them. They are cute sing well but mean. Thank you I’ve enjoyed your website.

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