In 2009, the City of Toronto and 14 partners, including the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Environment Canada, Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Field Naturalists, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Toronto Ornithological Club, and Toronto Zoo published — Birds of Toronto: A Guide to Their Remarkable World (77MB download), the first of its Biodiversity Series.
Toronto is home to a total of 399 local and migratory bird species. Close to 200 bird species have been found to breed in Toronto. Over 270 species of birds migrate each year through the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Migratory birds follow ancient routes. Toronto is located at the convergence of two key flyways in the Americas: the Atlantic Flyway and Mississippi Flyway. In the spring, hundreds of bird species travelling through Toronto head north to the Arctic and Boreal Forests, and, in the fall, to the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast, and South America.
The Toronto Waterfront shoreline with its pockets of marshes, beaches, sand dunes, bays and river estuaries, and forests provides essential habitat for migratory birds during their stopovers. The Birds of Toronto guide states:
The heaviest fallouts of migrant birds tend to occur in areas of natural habitat along the lakefront and in the major river valleys. Nocturnal migrants are often plentiful after southern warm fronts in the spring and northern cold fronts in the fall. Light to moderate overnight rain or persistent fog will often result in major grounding of migrants as well. Spring migrants rely on safe migration stopovers to effectively feed, so that they can reach their breeding areas in optimal physical condition for nesting. Likewise, fall migrants require secure habitat to replenish the energy needed for their rigorous migratory travels to their wintering quarters.
The Toronto Waterfront is a foremost site for bird-viewing enthusiasts. Of the list of 13 exceptional bird viewing locations in Toronto, seven are along or near the Toronto waterfront: Toronto Islands, Leslie Street Spit/Tommy Thompson Park, High Park, Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Humber Bay Park, Humber marshes and Ashbridge’s Bay Park.
List of 13 Exceptional Bird Viewing Locations in Toronto
1. Toronto Islands
2. Leslie Street Spit/Tommy Thompson Park
3. High Park
4. Colonel Samuel Smith Park
5. Humber Bay Park
6. Humber Marshes
7. Lamton Woods, James Gardens, Lambton Park
8. Ashbridge’s Bay Park
9. Sunnybrook Park/Serena Gundy Park/E.T. Seton Park
10. Mount Pleasant Cemetery/Moor Park Ravine
11. Downsview Park
12. Clairville Conservation Area
13. Rouge Park
Source: Birds of Toronto, 2009
The Toronto Islands tops the list as a prime bird viewing location in Toronto. According to the Guide:
This [Toronto Islands] is far and away the best location in the city to see large numbers of migrant birds in both spring and fall. The most productive areas are the large willows along the airport fence at Hanlan’s Point, the dunes and Trout Pond near Gibraltar Point, the Nature Reserve immediately north of the water filtration plant, Snug Harbour and Snake Island, and the southeast portion of Ward’s Island.
