 |
SOME OF |
Around the same time, other wild birds in Ontario are also making their way back to their summer nesting areas.
During the first week of March we usually spot pairs of
Killdeer
The Killdeer has an interesting way of protecting it's young.
When approached it will make a big performance of trying to persuade you that it is injured and thus entice you AWAY from it's nest.
I have seen Killdeer flap around just half a metre away from me, as he very convincingly exhibited all the signs of an injured bird, including pitiful cries and calls.
As his performance escalates, you should tread carefully, as this usually means that you are getting close to his well camouflage eggs.
This is a wonderful survival tactic as most animal predators would quickly forget about looking for the nest and follow what they think will be a much easier dinner of "Killdeer-with-a-broken-wing".
Another sure sign of Spring is the arrival of pairs of Canada Geese, other wild birds in Ontario, which have wintered in the south and return here to breed.
Their distinct black heads, long necks and white cheek-patches make them unmistakable.
Check out our pages on the Canada Goose for more information.
Most Canada Geese from this area are migratory, however, others live in this area year-round and you can see them almost anywhere that there is water - golf courses, and the banks of lakes and rivers.
They graze on the grass and unfortunately, when they are in great numbers, leave their unwelcome deposits on the lawn behind them!
Around the same time in early March the Red Winged Blackbirds make their appearance.
These birds prefer to avoid the activities of mankind and are seen mostly in hedgerows and marshes, where you will see the distinctive red and yellow wing patches of the males.
During the summer other wild birds in Ontario appear - the Grackles travel in mixed flocks with Cow Birds which are about the size of a Starling, they are black and have a brown head.
Cow Birds are unusual wild birds in Ontario in that they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds -they are not picky about which nest they lay their eggs in either! They have been observed laying eggs in the nests of over 200 different species of wild birds in Ontario.
Hundreds of years ago, flocks of Brown Headed Cow Birds would follow herds of Bison as they moved across the plains of North America, however, today their numbers have multiplied thanks to humans and their herds of cattle.
One of the wild birds in Ontario that everybody recognizes, is a year long visitor to our bird feeder - the beautiful and noisy
Blue Jays.
They monopolize the bird food and obviously think that it is put out specifically for them to enjoy.
With their bright blue plumage and noisy calls, they are hard to mistake for any of the other wild birds in Ontario.
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
The shy Cardinals are just as brightly coloured in their beautiful red plumage, although the females and juveniles are slightly less brilliantly coloured.
They too visit our feeders throughout the year, although they are not as bold as the Jays, and quickly fly away when approached.
Chickadees and Nuthatches are probably my favourite winter birds as they are the acrobats of the bird-feeder. They hang upside down to dig the suet or peanut butter out of the feeders and they don't scare easily when there are people about.
The cheerful "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" is such a cheerful call and one that I love to hear on a crisp winter day.
This Chickadee was on our deck last winter, just waiting to be photographed!
I just found a wonderful website that gives lots of information about North American Birds and how to attract them to your backyard.
You can find out what kind of food to use to attract a particular bird, how to provide the right kind of plants and shrubs and lots of other interesting facts for bird lovers. Be sure to check out "A Home for Wild Birds" website.
In Summer we also see pairs of Baltimore Orioles near our house and hear their beautiful song. They feed on nectar and like to eat from our Hummingbird feeders, sometimes tipping them over until all the nectar runs out!
Last summer we invested in an Oriole Feeder which is slightly bigger and better suited to the heavier Orioles.
Stokes Oriole Book: The Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying and Enjoying Orioles
People world-wide seem to know that Canada is a country of snow and ice - yes it is, I don’t deny that, but many people don’t realize that we also get wonderful, hot summers and that we are as far south as Rome and parts of Greece, and therefore Ontario is the breeding ground for some "tropical" species of wild birds in Ontario.
In summer another of the wild birds in Ontario who visit us here are Ruby Throated Hummingbirds whose quick visits to our feeders are amazing - you see a flash of Emerald Green and then they’re gone. These are the only Humming birds found in Ontario, so if you catch a glimpse of a Hummer, it will be a Ruby Throated Hummingbird.
This year we spotted our first Hummingbird of summer in our garden on May 18th 2007.
They feed in just moments and if you don’t look quickly, you’ll miss it!
The male hummer is incredibly green with a flash of red at the throat, his mate is a duller shade of olive green.
As the summer progresses the Hummingbirds bring their babies to the feeders and it is wonderful to watch their ariel displays as they dive and dart and chirp their high-pitched call to each other.
One of the smallest Owls in North America is the Saw-Whet Owl which inhabits this area.
Because they are nocturnal, they are not often seen, but I have observed one small, pretty owl at dusk near our home, which I suspect was a Saw-Whet Owl.
This picture is taken of a signed, Limited Edition print by the artist Michael Dumas and is number 13 of a series of 350 prints, 36cm x 51cm.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE LIMITED EDITION WILDLIFE PRINTS FOR SALE A pair of tiny Indigo Buntings emerged out of the forest behind our house last spring and quickly ate and left.
That is the one and only time that I have ever seen these wild birds of Ontario near our home in the twelve years that we have lived here.
In both the summer and winter months we see pairs of Downy Woodpeckers and
They seem to enjoy the seeds and suet, in addition to whatever they find when they peck wood.
One Woodpecker that is not as obviously a Woodpecker is the Northern Flicker. These wild birds in Ontario are beautifully plumed and seems to often feed on the ground. It is easy to spot as it flies away from you, by the white spot on its rump.
A rarer, and larger, species is the Pileated Woodpecker which is sometimes found in Springwater Conservation Area not far from here.
This species suffered a decline during the late 1800's because of land clearing for agriculture, as these birds require trees with cavities for nesting, and trees with insects and grubs for food.
The good news is that their numbers have stabilized in the past quarter century and although they are not common wild birds in Ontario, they are no longer endangered.
This bird is large, as you can see from the photograph, and is the size of a Crow.
If we sit outside on the patio at our house, we see a familiar sight almost every evening, we call him the "Nine o’clock Heron" and this beautiful, majestic bird flies over our house both morning and night.
We think it is flying between the river near our home to the Lake about 1km away.
Okay, I’ll admit, I don’t really know if it is the same Blue Heron or a different one each day, but they do seem to appear around the same time each evening, and we like to think that it is always our heron!
Click to see a short video of the Blue Heron on You Tube.
Great Blue Heron (Camp & Cottage Collection. Wildlife)
Because we live on the banks of a river, we occasionally catch a glimpse of a Kingfisher as they dart through the trees, and dive into the water for their prey.
They are not common wild birds in Ontario, at least not where we live, and they are so beautiful that we are delighted when we do see them.
This picture is taken of a signed, Limited Edition print by the artist Michael Dumas and is number 11 of a series of 350 prints, 36cm x 51cm.
We have a number of Limited Edition Prints for sale featuring Canadian Wildlife and Birds from artists such as Michael Dumas, Carl Arlen, Claudio D'Angelo and James Lansdowne.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE LIMITED EDITION WILDLIFE PRINTS FOR SALE Last summer one of our guests tracked down the source of a mystery bird-song that we had been unable to identify.
Our friend, Peter tracked these birds to their nest in one of our hanging flower baskets and identified them as a pair of Carolina Wrens.
This area is as far north as these birds breed, so we were very happy to have them spend the summer with us as they raised their brood.
Last summer my husband unwittingly put the nestlings at risk when he lifted the hanging basket onto the porch, to water the flowers - that was just the opportunity that our cat had been waiting for when, luckily, I arrived and put an end to her anticipated buffet - fortunately none of the chicks was harmed and they were quickly placed back out of harm’s way!
We also see a pair of House Wrens at our bird feeders all year round.
Audubon Cedar Wren/Chickadee House (6.5" x 7.5" x 12.5")
Some strange wild birds in Ontario are the Grey Catbirds. They are very elusive and I don't see them very often, but I do hear them a lot. They sound just like a cat's "Meow", you'd swear there was a cat making that noise - hence their name!
In early March, the Wildlife Management Area in Aylmer and Long Point Wetlands see the spring migration of thousands of Tundra Swans as they fly from their wintering grounds in Chesapeake Bay, northward to the Arctic to breed.
Most years there are up to ten thousand swans winging their way northward and it is one of my favourite sights to see hundreds of swans feeding, grooming, flying and bickering with each other as they rest here on their northward journey.
The migration takes place over a period of three weeks or so, and some of the swans seem to stay for just a day or so, whereas, others spend between a week and ten days here as they rest, feed, and gain strength for the remainder of their long flight to the Arctic Circle.
I’ll never forget when I first moved to Canada from England and was watching some large birds circling overhead.
I nudged my hubby and said “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that those birds up there were vultures!”
Two minutes later we turned a bend in the country road and there, right in front of us, were half a dozen huge Turkey Vultures taking a really close look at a dead possum – and I thought Vultures only existed in Western movies!
The Turkey Vultures are fairly easy to identify as, when seen from below, their wings have a clear black & white pattern - black at the front of the wings with white flight feathers at the back.
Also, you can usually distinguish a Turkey Vulture from a Hawk or Eagle when in flight, because of the way the Vultures "wobble".
It's hard to describe, but unmistakable, they don't flap much, just glide, however, they are constantly making adjustments and appear to wobble every few seconds.
When you compare them to a Red Tailed Hawk for example, the Hawk flies in a smooth way with no "wobble".
During the winter and early spring we often see
Wild Turkeys
foraging for food in the farmer's fields around where we live.
These birds shun human habitation and prefer to keep themselves to themselves, so it is often difficult to get a really good view of them.
Here is a close up of one of the Wild Turkeys which are found in Southern Ontario.
Other wild birds in Ontario are the common Mallard, which is seen in most lakes and rivers in this area along with the less common Ruddy Duck, Merganser, Wood Duck, and Bufflehead.
If you are interested in other Wild birds in Ontario, check out the following sites for more information.
Wild Birds North Site - feeders for Wild Birds in Ontario
Bird feeders, Bird houses and Back yard decor
North American Robin
The familiar Robin is found all over Southern Ontario and most of the rest of North America, and their cheerful call is a sign of the arrival of spring
Ontario Field Ornithologists
You'll find lots of information for those interested in wild birds in Ontario
Long Point Bird Observatory
Information on the work of the Birders at Long Point including figures on wild birds spotted in that area
Bird Studies Canada
Lots of Links to information on Wild Birds in Ontario and to Worldwide Birding
Turkey Vultures
These essential birds are common wild birds in Ontario and can be seen circling overhead as they search for food or glide higher on the thermals
St Thomas Field Naturalists
Up to date information about their Wednesday Evening Spring Walks in the area
Gulls and Plovers
Book by C J Barnard
Stokes Oriole Book: The Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying and Enjoying Orioles
Information on attracting Orioles to your garden
Hummingbird Gardens
Lots of information about planting flowers and shrubs to attract Hummingbirds to your garden
Great Blue Heron (Camp & Cottage Collection. Wildlife)
Info on the habits and habitat of these magnificent wild birds in Ontario
Audubon Cedar Wren/Chickadee House (6.5" x 7.5" x 12.5")
Build your own Wren or Chickadee house to attract these lively wild birds in Ontario to your garden
The American Robin (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)
The concise life history of the best known North American bird, the Robin,with information about migrations, food, habits, their breeding behavior, distribution, and enemies
