e-Bird Canada
A
real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way
that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds.
Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon
Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird
abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All about Birds
Your
guide to birds and bird watching with information on 585 species in the
online bird guide. ID tips, sound, and video for 99 species (and
counting). "Building Skills" section and free Inside Birding videos for
new bird watchers.
Neily's World - Birding Ottawa :
Most
comprehensive guide for birders to Canada's capital region. Bordering
on the boreal forest and divided by the Ottawa River, this area has much
to offer the resident or visiting birder. Northern avian visitors make
each winter exciting. Over 400 Ottawa area birding sites are described
with maps and directions. Sections of the guide include: When and Where
to See, Rare Bird Alerts, Checklist, Winter Specialty Status, Seasonal
Guide, Useful Tools, Listers' Corners for Ottawa and Canada, etc
Best Ornithology Field Guides:
Peterson's Guides including: A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America
Waterproof pocket field guides by James Kavanagh: Topics include birds, edible wilds, trees and others. Available at Lee Valley, Chapters and other locations.
Birdwatching Volunteers Wanted
Ottawa Peregrine Falcon Watch:
The
Falcon Watch was established when a pair first
nested downtown in 1997.
They have nested there every year since. The watch’s main objective is
to assist the young birds and also to record observations about the
falcons and to educate the public about these impressive birds of prey.
Ottawa Bird Breeding Count
Headed
up by the Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Research Laboratory at
Carleton University: "A Volunteer Based, Scientifically Rigorous Survey
of Birds in an Expanding City". This includes their Nest-Monitoring Program, Census Plot Program and the Point Count Program. More details on their website at GLEG.
Audubon Christmas Bird Count
The Ottawa Field Naturalist's Club has participated continuously since 1920. The count usually takes place in mid-December and
involves teams of volunteers who spend most of the day outdoors tallying
species and numbers of birds within a 7.5 mile radius of the Peace
Tower. Other volunteers contribute by noting the birds that come to
their backyard feeders on the day of the count.
Ontario Chimney Swift Program
Bird Studies Canada is looking for volunteers to observe and identify potential nesting and
roosting sites throughout Ontario. Please contact them to
participate in identifying Chimney Swift sites, to share your knowledge of any nesting/roosting
locations, or to volunteer in a longer-term monitoring program in
your community.
