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 Snowy Owl, Boreal Chickadee, Common Redpoll, Northern Shrike, Iceland Gull and Hoary Redpoll in the current gallery.
There are new photos of Boreal Chickadee, Common Redpoll, Iceland Gull, Common Goldeneye, Wood Duck, Red-throated Loon, Rough-legged Hawk and Mourning Warbler in the checklist gallery.
Upcoming Trips
February 21 (Sunday) Haldimand-Norfolk County Outing with Barry Coombs, Mike Norton
Webinar: What is 5MR Birding?
Tuesday, January 19th at 7:00pm
Join Carter Dorscht, noted Sault Ste Marie birder, OFO Board member, and coordinator of Ontario’s 5MR* birding challenge, as he discusses the concept of 5MR birding, how you can get involved, and some of the benefits of it, both for you and the environment.
5MR = 5 Mile Radius
7pm, on Facebook Live https://fb.me/e/18I3L3O0F (You do not need to be a Facebook member to attend).
Register at: https://ofo25.wildapricot.org/event-4131556 to receive event reminders and notification when the presentation is available on You Tube.
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.