Hello Everyone, The 2024-2025 Winter Listing season finished on February 28, 2025. For the 2024-2025 winter season, 207 species were reported in Ontario. This species total is one species lower than the 18-year average of 208. The median value is 205 for those 18 years. The highest year was 2021-2022, with 229 species. The lowest season was 2009-2010, with 189 species.
Since my last update to Ontbirds on January 31, new species added are: Spotted Towhee, shared by Carter Dorscht on February 1, was seen at a feeder on St. Joseph Island, and a Veery was found by Patrick Jackson at Rathburn Tract. A roll call of rare birds seen this year includes: - Common Eider (seen 3 out of the last 18 seasons); - Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (10/18) - Ancient Murrelet (2/18) - White-eyed Vireo (12/18) The list can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/myyulvs. Please check out the OFO website for upcoming trips and events http://www.ofo.ca/site/tripsupcoming. There are going to be many exciting outings this spring. The OFO also has a discord group with a Winter bird channel. A link to the OFO discord group is here: https://discord.gg/npbCzXVhZ2. Winter Listers can also communicate on the Ontario Birds Discord Server which can be found here:https://discord.gg/EhvgAc2fwb. As always, please send me an email if you know of a sighting of a missing species observed between December 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025, or if you see any errors in the spreadsheet either from this winter or from winters past. Looking forward to spring, Todd -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: birdnews@ontbirds.ca. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at birdn...@ofo.ca. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
