Welcome to the OFO website. If it's Ontario birds that you are interested in, then you've come to the right place. While you're here you can see Photo Galleries of recent sightings, find out about Upcoming Field Trips, view the official Ontario Checklist, read our Code of Ethics, Become a Member, and much more. Enjoy the experience.
Gulls are birding's ultimate identification challenge and Ontario offers some of the best gull watching in North America. There are 22 gull species on the Ontario checklist, which is about 44% of the world's species. The late Peter Grant, author of the first gull identification guide, said the Niagara River was his favourite place for gulls. Niagara holds the world's record of 14 gull species seen on 25 November 1995. OFO field trips often get 10 gull species when thousands of gulls feed along the river in November and December. Seeing Glaucous, Iceland and Thayer's Gulls from the Canadian Arctic with a possibility of finding extreme rarities such as a Ross's Gull or a vagrant Slaty-backed Gull from Siberia is exciting. See the Gull Watching Guide in the Articles and Reports section here.
Recent Trips
There are recent trips reports for Toronto Lakeshore, Barrie Lakeshore, Niagara River Gull Watch, Cobourg Harbour, Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Grand Bend, Pinery PP, Kettle Point, Ottawa River and Durham Waterfront on the current trip reports page.
Winter Finch Forecast 2018
Ron Pittaway's annual Winter Finch forecast is available here.
Recent Photos
There are new photos of White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Wilson's Snipe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-eyed Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, Mallard, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Great Kiskadee and Gray Catbird in the current gallery.
There are new photos of White-eyed Vireo, Turkey Vulture, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Slaty-backed Gull, Snowy Owl, White-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Trumpeter Swan and Hermit Thrush in the checklist gallery.
Ontario Field Ornithologists © 1984. All photographs on the site © the photographer.