Welcome to OFO’s Winter Birding Challenge!
After the success of our very first Birding at Home Challenge this past spring, OFO is excited to announce a new challenge, the Winter Birding Challenge, running from December 1st to February 28! Get outside to enjoy the winter; find some great birds; contribute to community science through eBird; and have a chance to win some great prizes!
The Winter Birding Challenge will focus on birding your 5MR (5 mile radius) of your home. How many different species can you find this winter within your radius? You can help reduce your ecological footprint by birding close to home and you will find some new and fun places to bird.
To find out more go to Events/Winter Birding Challenge or register here
View the results to date on the Results page under Events/Winter Birding Challenge Results.
Recent Photos
There are new photos of Northern Pintail, American Coot, Barred Owl, Tundra Swan, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bald Eagle, Ovenbird, Savannah Sparrow, Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspur in the current gallery.
There are new photos of American Coot, Barred Owl, Tundra Swan, American Black Duck, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Lapland Longspur, Savannah Sparrow and Spotted Towhee in the checklist gallery.
OFO Statement on Birding and Safety
Recent reports of sexual assault and harassment have come to light in the greater birding community. We at OFO stand with survivors and are committed to uplifting those that speak truth to harm. OFO is committed to making safety a priority for all participants in its activities and recognizes that we must work with members, trip leaders, and the birding community to ensure safety. We are reviewing trip protocols and identifying what measures are needed to keep people as safe as possible, such as creating a code of conduct which aligns with safety policies and practices to be upheld. We believe that birding, and the outdoors in general, should be a safe space for everyone, not only safe from sexual assault and harassment, but from all forms of harmful behaviour.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Find out more about what OFO is doing
The website has a new section about OFO's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiative. Please check out the updated EDI statement at About Us/Equity and Diversity and send any thoughts or comments to diversity@ofo.ca.
Atlas-3: Finding Breeding Birds in the Winter
Mike Cadman, Coordinator of the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, wrote an article on winter atlassing in the October issue of OFO News. You can read that article here: Atlassing in the Winter.
Find out more about the atlas and register at: birdsontario.org
White-winged Crossbills
How to find breeding crossbills
Crossbills are ranging accross the province in search of good supplies of food, in particular White Spruce cones. Crossbills will breed during the winter when food is plentiful. This is the year to search for breeding crossbills and record your sightings for the atlas. Mark Peck has written a great article about finding these birds, which is posted on the atlas website at: Crossbill Article.
Can you find a nest this year?
Announcing OFO's Birding Buddies
Join OFO to be a buddy
We are excited to introduce OFO Birding Buddies! Do you ever travel to parts of the province that you are not familiar with and wish that you could talk to local birders to get their advice on how to bird the area? Or even better, find someone local to go birding with?
OFO Birding Buddies will provide you with contact info for OFO members across Ontario who are willing to provide you with that advice or take you out birding. When you join or renew your OFO membership this year, you'll have the option being a part of OFO Birding Buddies by providing your general location, contact info, and a short description of the assistance you're able to provide for other OFO members that are visiting your area.
Join OFO or Donate
Please consider joining and donating
Who we are and what we do
Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) is the provincial organization dedicated to the study of bird life in Ontario.
OFO is entirely led and run by volunteers. We are people who want to share our knowledge and enthusiasm for birds with others. Among other activities, our volunteers lead field trips across the province, we publish OFO News and Ontario Birds three times a year respectively, run the Ontario Birds Records Committee. OFO is proud to be one of the five partner organizations sponsoring the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.
How to Join or Donate
We encourage you to join or renew online, but if you prefer to renew by paper, please print the Membership Form and mail the completed form and your cheque to the address provided on the form.
Winter Birding Challenge Tip!
Don't forget to share your checklists
Don't forget!
For your checklists to be counted you must share them with the OFObirds eBird account.
For more information on sharing checklists, go to: eBird Help
The Winter Birding Challenge Team
Ontario Field Ornithologists © 1984. All photographs on the site © the photographer.