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The Land Between

The Land Between

Explore - Learn - Inspire

  • About Us
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  • About the Region
    • Overview of The Land Between Region
    • Wildlife
    • Geography
    • Natural Habitats
    • Culture
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  • Support We Offer
    • Shoreland Gardens & Naturalization
      • Natural Shoreland Garden Workshops
      • Shoreland Guidebook and Plant Lists
      • The Natural Edge Shore Re-naturalization Site Visits
    • Habitat Health Check-Ups
    • Managing Your Land for Conservation
  • Learning Centre
    • For Residents
      • Living in the The Land Between: A How-To Series
      • Species At Risk in The Land Between
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      • Beginner Birding Centre
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  • Community Science Home
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Birding in The Land Between

Birds are captivating and cryptic species that bring many of us a deep sense of joy and place. Within The Land Between region we have diverse birds species ranging from the rare whip-poor-will to the common chickadee!

We welcome birders of all levels and hope that we can inspire you to learn more about our flying friends! Birds teach us about what habitats lie just beyond the horizon, what is happening in our forests, whether an owl is around and even when the sap is running! Become a Birding Community Scientist today to learn more about how you can help all birds including those which are listed as Species At Risk.

Thank you for your interest in helping to conserve our feathered friends!

Whip-poor-will2881leora
bobolink
Black-capped-Chickadee
Fall Migration Birding Walks 345
bank swallow2
blue bird

Join our 5km Bird Walk and Backyard Bioblitz Programs!

Interested in learning more about birds is your neighbourhood? Want to know the who's who of our musical friends? Participate in our 5km Bird Walk and Backyard Bioblitz Program!

The 5km Bird Walk is similar to the 5 mile Bird Walks that happen down south. Take walks throughout the year within 5km of where you live and document the birds that you see and hear. All of the data you gather will help with our bird conservation research!

To learn more about the birds that you could find each season join our Backyard Bioblitz Program! This can be done in tandem with the 5km Bird Walk and provides an online portal for bird sighting submissions. Learn more about  our feathered neighbours and help with scientific research by joining!

Join our Backyard Bioblitz Program!
5KM Birding Challenge!
Send in your list of observed birds

Want to become a better birder? Watch our fun video!

Do you like birds? Do you want to become a better birder?

If you find the bird-watching world a bit intimidating to get into, then our Intro to Birding video is a great place to start. Our very own bird expert, Xavier Tuson, takes you through how to choose binoculars, where and when to look for birds, and some key features to look out for.

We also have developed a guide of the 25 Most Common Birds of The Land Between. Learning to identify the common birds first is a great way to get started in your birding journey:

Download a Guide of the 25 Most Common Birds of The Land Between

Test yourself and download a checklist

There are 303 birds you can find in the region! Now You Can Download The Land Between Birding Checklist for the region, or purchase one from our online store!

You can further test your bird identification skills with our self-paced slides of photos taken in the Land Between by our famous photographer, Tracey McCann. Tracey also takes most of the beautiful photos you see on our Facebook page.

Further test your identification skills

Birding Events: Migration Birding Walks, Owl Prowls and More...

Bird walk

During spring and fall migration, you are invited to learn about the birds of the Land Between! Join us on one of the many Saturday mornings. In the winter, Owl Prowls are a hoot! Sessions will be led by the Land Between staffer Xavier Tuson. Wear appropriate shoes, and bring binoculars if you have them! We will be limiting the number of participants to ensure appropriate spacing in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Bird Walk event registration now open!

What is happening to bird populations?

Many bird species all over the world are currently in sharp decline. In fact, the decline of adult bird populations is especially severe for migratory insectivorous (diet consists primarily of insects) species. Together insectivorous (mainly) and grassland species make up most of the bird Species At Risk in the Land Between. (Specifically: Acadian Flycatcher, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Bobolink, Canada Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Chimney Swift, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Eastern Wood-pewee, Evening Grosbeak, Common Nighthawk, Black Tern, Golden-winged Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow pratensis subspecies, Henslow’s Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike migrans subspecies, Loggerhead Shrike eastern subspecies, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Olive-sided Flycatcher). Pesticide use, habitat loss and climate change are the largest contributors to their decline.

Bank Swallow
Learn more about aerial insectivores
Learn more about grassland birds and alvars
Species At Risk birds in The Land Between

Learn more about some fun local birds!

Some spring birds of The Land Between

Backyard Birds Spring
Download our common spring birds identification sheet!

Love learning about birds? Check out our bird blogs!

Cat and bird

Keep Your Cats Indoors: Disappearing Birds

June 13, 2022

A study of 500 species of birds in Canada and the US was published in the prestigious journal Science in September 2019. It found that in the last 50 years, 3 billion birds have disappeared. This is 29 percent of the number of birds in the 500 species surveyed. We are part of the causes. Over …

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swallows

Where Are All the Birds?

October 18, 2021

Birds are extremely fascinating creatures with their colourful feathers and sing-song calls. Yet, whenever I watch them gracefully gliding through the air it is almost impossible to fathom that they used to be theropod dinosaurs (the same family as the Tyrannosaurus Rex) trampling through huge forests. Now, when walking through forests and fields we no …

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Announcements(6)

A New Bird Tracking Station in the Highlands

October 14, 2021

After many months of planning and partnership-building the time was finally here! We have installed our first Motus Tower in Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve to support bird research in the Highlands, which contributes to tri-national effort! We will now be able to track some bird species that arrive in Haliburton County, and who have …

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motus tower (2)

Tracking Bird Migration For All to See

April 6, 2021

The Land Between Charity is helping to install two receiver towers to help track bird (and animal) movements. This will support migration research and help bird conservation initiatives. In these days of technological progress and advances, we at The Land Between look to embrace new and exciting ways to fuel conservation efforts in all aspects …

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Black-capped-Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadees- The Cheeseburger Birds

March 1, 2021

Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are the most easily recognizable birds we have here in The Land Between (beyond, perhaps, BlueJays), and we think you might agree they are the “cutest” birds here. They are curious, energetic, and downright acrobatic! Earning their names from both the black “cap” on their heads, and their chicka-dee-dee-dee call, Black-capped …

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bobolink

Bringing Birdwatching to The Land Between

January 14, 2021

There are 291 species of birds known to breed within the province. Of these 204 species that breed in The Land Between. But over 300 species visit this area. Despite such a large number of bird species that can be seen here, the amount of bird watchers in The Land Between is relatively low. Birding …

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Common-Loon-2 (2)

Are We Losing the Loons?

January 9, 2021

What is Happening to Our Loons in Ontario?   The Common Loon (Gavia immer) is Ontario’s provincial bird and a well-known character in cottage country – its mournful wails and uplifting laughter play the song of summer for many who retreat to the wilderness for peace and relaxation. With their striking appearance, magnificent diving skills …

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Whip-poor-will2881leora

Nightjars While Nest-Watching- A Personal Account

July 8, 2020

A Personal Review of Turtle Nesting Season and the Excitement of Bird-watching   Written by Xavier Tuson,  Conservation Technician for The Land Between Turtle nesting season has just finished. I was out with my team of technicians conducting research on roads and in the evenings, on nesting sites, for the past month. For myself, turtle …

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cat

Keep Your Fur-Child and Wildlife Safe (Apocalypse Meow)

January 14, 2020

Keep Your Fur Child & Wildlife Safe (aka. Apocalypse Meow) We tend to love and dote upon our pets. We treat them as our children, and post photos of their silly antics. But what do you do if your fur child is inadvertently harming local wildlife? It is time for cat owners to address an unfortunate …

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Bluejay winter

Attracting Year-Round Birds to Your Backyard!

September 8, 2019

Tips & Tricks for Attracting Year-Round Birds to Your Backyard        Many bird species throughout The Land Between stay in Canada year-round, rather than migrating South in the wintertime. Chickadees for example, do not actually migrate south, but rather move around a lot, looking for food and habitat. Black-capped Chickadees are the most common Chickadee …

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The Land Between is a National Charity #805849916RR0001.
Your support helps us celebrate, conserve, and enhance this important region.

The Land Between
P.O. Box 1368
Haliburton, ON K0M 1S0
705-457-1222
info@thelandbetween.ca

We respectfully acknowledge that The Land Between is located within Williams Treaty 20 Mississauga Anishinaabeg territory and Treaty 61 Robinson-Huron treaty territory, in the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. The Land Between respectfully acknowledges that these First Nations are the stewards and caretakers of these lands and waters in perpetuity and that they continue to maintain this responsibility to ensure their health and integrity for generations to come.

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