Gilligallou's Blog — bird identification

There was a great deal of excitement in our neck of the woods, west of Ottawa in eastern Ontario, this week. Local birdwatchers in the small town of Pakenham, Ontario were fortunate enough to spot an unusual visitor while out birding this past week. Ray Holland and Richard Waters were observing a number of house […]  

A common sight to roadside and open spaces in the western United States and Canada, the Western Kingbird is a treat to behold. These large flycatchers feature a stunning yellow belly and a large gray head and are often found perched on fences and utility poles tracking potential prey on the ground below. Traditionally, these […]  

Given the time of year, we turn to a migrating species that will soon become highly visible in most of southern Canada and the northern United States. The Northern Shrike is a highly predatory songbird, often killing more prey, when possible, than it can immediately eat or feed to their young. These birds will, however, […]  

There are many terms, phrases and sayings tossed around the birding world and for those new to the game, these terms can turn out to be slightly confusing. While some of us who have been in the birding world might gaffe at defining some terms, we always have to keep in mind that as experienced […]