Barred Owl. Photo © John Hefford

Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) is dedicated to the study of birds in Ontario.

OFO was formed in 1982 to unify the growing numbers of field ornithologists across the province and to provide a forum for ideas and information among its members, who now number over 1,000.

OFO was incorporated in 1987. All donations to OFO (not including annual membership fees) are tax deductible and help to further field ornithology in Ontario.


Mission

To foster and increase the appreciation, knowledge, and conservation of Ontario’s birds within an equitable and inclusive organization.

Vision

An inclusive and engaged community of people in Ontario who are interested in birds, with different levels of experience and expertise, and who share a passion for birds and birding.

Sedge Wren. Photo © Kevin Gevaert

Values

Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) values inform our policies and objectives.

  • Inclusion of all people with an interest in birds
  • Evidence-based information and education
  • Working and engaging with other groups and organizations
  • Non-partisan support for the conservation of birds and their habitat
  • Promoting greater equity in the birding community
  • Respectfully sharing information and helping others learn

Goals

Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) was formed in 1982 and incorporated in 1986 with the following goals, which continue to be relevant and to guide our activities:

  • To promote the appreciation and conservation of Ontario’s birds
  • To disseminate information relating to the status, identification, distribution, ecology and behaviour of Ontario’s birds
  • To encourage observation and field studies of Ontario’s birds
  • To adjudicate records of rare birds and to maintain an official list of Ontario birds
  • To carry on printing, publishing, selling and distributing literature about Ontario’s birds

What We Do

Each is published three times a year and included with your OFO membership. Ontario Birds documents new information on the birds of the province and includes notes and articles about their status, distribution, identification and behaviour, as well as the Annual Report of the OBRC. OFO News features short articles, announcements, site guides, bird artists, field trip reports and OBRC updates.

Long Point, Kingston, Carden Alvar, Algonquin Provincial Park, Presqu’le Provincial Park, the Niagara River, Fisherville, Manitoulin Island, Rondeau Provincial Park, Kingston, Leslie Street Spit, Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, Bruce Peninsula. The list grows and changes all the time. Trips with expert leaders emphasize field identification for both novice and experienced birders.

It publishes a Review List of species for which documentation is requested.

It notifies birders of interesting Ontario bird sightings.

Examples are Ornithology in Ontario (1994) and An Index to Ontario Birds (1998). Information on how to purchase these and other products such as cards and apparel featuring the OFO logo can be found in the Sales section.

The venue is a centre within easy access of most members. Activities include guest speakers, field trips, birding displays and a social gathering. Visit our conventions page for more information.

Now more than ever, each one of us needs to be the voice for Ontario’s birds.  Many of Canada’s bird species are in steep decline. For example, aerial insectivore populations have plummeted by 59% in the last 50 years (see http://nabci.net/wp-content/uploads/2019-State-of-Canadas-Birds-1.pdf).  Without change this decline is likely to continue.  We encourage everyone to add their voice the growing chorus of concerned citizens.  OFO is attempting to add its voice by advocating for the non-partisan conservation of Ontario’s birds and their habitat.  This will be effected by:

  • financially supporting conservation efforts when fiscally able to do so
  • keeping OFO members informed of the conservation issues that affect Ontario’s birds
  • lending our support and advocating as a larger group to conservation efforts

Recent projects that we have helped support include such diverse projects as: the funding for additional land purchases in the Carden Alvar; advocating for the protection of the beach at Ashbridges Bay in Toronto; and reporting on Ontario’s controversial introduction of a “hunting” season for the Double-crested Cormorant.

If you have a non-partisan conservation project you would like to highlight or receive funding for please contact conservation@OFO.ca.

Board and Committees

President

Mark Peck

president@ofo.ca

Past President

Jeff Skevington

pastpresident@ofo.ca

Secretary

Colleen Reilly

secretary@ofo.ca

Membership

Angie Williams

membership@ofo.ca

Treasurer

Sue Seuss

treasurer@ofo.ca

Fund Development

Andrea Kingsley

advertising@ofo.ca

Field Trips & Events

Dave Milsom

fieldtrips@ofo.ca

Marketing & Communications

communications@ofo.ca

Directors-at-Large

Doug Berry

Mike Burrell

Carly Davenport

Angela Eady

Kiah Jasper

Gisbert Segler

Doug Berry

certificates@ofo.ca

Nicola Dodds

Ankhur Kurana

Communications@ofo.ca

Gisbert Segler

Carly Davenport

conservation@OFO.ca

Ontario Birds Editors

ontariobirds@ofo.ca

diversity@ofo.ca

Colleen Reilly

Angela Eady

Kiah Jasper

Dave Milsom

fieldtrips@ofo.ca

Ivor Williams

admin@ofo.ca

Sue Suess

Dan Suess

convention@ofo.ca

Ontbirds Moderators

Mike Burrell

Kiah Jasper

birdalert@ofo.ca

Birdnews Moderators

Mike Burrell

Kiah Jasper

birdnews@ofo.ca

Editors

Anita Aviad

Emily Burton

Angela Eady

ofonews@ofo.ca

Editorial Consultants

Michelle Martin 

Mike Burrell

Voting Members

Gerard Phillips (chair)

Cameron Chevalier

Bruce Di Labio

Kiah Jasper

Sarah Lamond

Jon Ruddy

David Szmyr

Non-Voting Members

Secretary: Michelle Martin

Assts. to the Secretary: Ezra Campanelli

Archivist: Mike Burrell

ROM Liaison: vacant

obrc@ofo.ca

Editors

Gerard Phillips (chair)

Chip Weseloh (Emeritus CWS wildlife biologist, Toronto)

Pamela Martin (Retired Environment Canada Wildlife Biologist, Keene)

David Welch (Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo)

Brandon Holden (Freelance Ecologist, London)

ontariobirds@ofo.ca

Frank and Sandra Horvath

photos@ofo.ca

Kiah Jasper (chair)

Jeff Skevington

Angela Skevington

Gis Segler

Lynne Freeman

Emma Gignac