Hello Ontario Birders, Hope everyone is enjoying the winter listing season. I wanted to update you on the Ontario Winter List for 2025-2026. The current list total sits at 200. To give some perspective, the final 2024-2025 list was 207, the 2023-2024 list was 226, and the 2022-2023 list was 218. The average number of species for a winter over the last 18 years is 208. This season's list is below average. It is getting late in the winter, so we will see what we can dig up. Since my last update on Dec. 31, 2025, additions included Spotted Towhee in Brampton, Peel County, found by Galina Szlapetis, and Tufted Duck in Mississauga, also in Peel count found by Garth Riley.
We are missing some common winter birds seen in previous years. Common birds missing from the list include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, Brewer's Blackbird, Northern House Wren, and Brant. The winter list can be viewed here <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1umLIsr70JMC85hbAq82tryI1Jz55M8oRGxapWBr7dIc/edit?gid=0#gid=0> . Check out the OFO website for winter bird trips and events here. <http://www.ofo.ca/site/tripsupcoming> Winter trips and events include: - Trip report from Churchill, Manitoba Part 2 - online - Feb. 2 - Winter Birds in Smooth Rock Falls - Feb.14 There are some other events, but they are fully booked, so I have not included them. The OFO <http://www.ofo.ca/content/winter-birding/tips> also has tips on how to find winter birds. The OFO also has a Discord group <https://discord.com/invite/npbCzXVhZ2> with a Winter bird channel where we can talk about winter birding. Winter Listers can also keep track of what's being seen in the Ontario Birds Discord Server. <https://discord.com/invite/kdYPQBdQgy> I try to update the spreadsheet every couple of days or whenever I hear of a new addition. Please let me know if you hear of a new addition or any other correction to the spreadsheet. Thank you to everyone who has notified me of omissions. Good birding, Todd Hagedorn -- 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: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. 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.
