This post has been approved by Ontbird Moderators. Hi,
Days away from 2021 the Ontario winter bird list stands at 202, following the addition of 28 new species since my last update on December 9, 2020. Last year at this time the list was 187. In the winter of 2018-2019 at this time the list stood at 197 species, while in 2016 the list was 207 species (finishing with 216). It is looking unlikely that the all-time record of 220 (from 2015-2016) will be surpassed. The new additions since my last update include Ovenbird (6/13, six seen in the last 13 winters), Black-throated Green Warbler (found by Marshall Byle, near Kincardine, 2/13), Tennessee Warbler (Marvin and Janet Medelko, in Mississauga, 2/13), Yellow Warbler (8/13), Dunlin (13/13), American Woodcock (Garth Riley, in Toronto, 13/13), Glaucus-winged Gull (Kirk Zufelt, in Sault Ste. Marie, 0/13), and American White Pelican (Tim Lucus, at Turkey Point, 3/13). There are a handful of species that are typically reported in any given winter that are still missing from this winter’s list. These include Brant (13/13), Gray Partridge (13/13), Northern Hawk Owl (13/13), Boreal Owl (12/13), and Brewer's Blackbird (11/13). The Ontario Field Ornithologists are running a Winter Birding Challenge. This challenge involves eBirding <https://ebird.org/> a local area during the winter. More information about how to get involved and prizes can be found here: http://www.ofo.ca/winterbirding. Winter Listers can also keep track of what's being seen in the Ontario Birds Discord Server, found here: Discord <https://discord.gg/jQZtg4CwpR>. The list can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/myyulvs. 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. The start of the new year and the free time of the holidays should hopefully produce some interesting birds in the near future. 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 edit your membership settings visit the Birdnews setup page at: http://ontbirds.ca/mailman/listinfo/birdnews_ontbirds.ca. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
