Birdwatching In Guelph

Birding is for everybody!

People of all abilities, skill levels and backgrounds are welcome to enjoy birds. We have compiled information and resources on this page to help people who are new to birdwatching in Guelph to get started. 

Learn about ethics of birding and bird photography, to ensure you are keeping birds safe.

Red-Tailed Hawk by Hayley Wilson. While you may see close up photos of birds and be tempted to approach wildlife to get these up-close views for yourself, its important to remember that bird photos are often taken with large camera lenses, and the photographer is father from the bird than they may appear. This photo was taken with a 600mm lens, which means the bird appears magnified by ~12x.

Apps for birding

We recommend checking out the following smartphone apps for birdwatching. These apps are useful for beginner and expert birders alike:

  • iNaturalist – identify birds and other organisms from photos, add observations to map
  • eBird – post observations of birds, keep lists of species, track activity at hotspots
  • Merlin – identify bird species based on their appearance and/or vocalizations

Birding for beginners

Various birdwatching resources, workshops, events and experts can be found:

Birding for kids/families

Mallard Ducks by Hayley Wilson. A popular activity to engage kids with wildlife is feeding ducks. However there are many issues with feeding ducks, that can be read about here. Instead, enjoy watching these beautiful birds from a distance, and explore the links above for safe and creative ideas to engage children with local wildlife.

Accessible birding​

There are excellent resources for learning about birding with disabilities available from Birdability.

Check out this free online Birding by Ear course from Birds Canada. This course is specially tailored for people with a visual impairment such as sight loss and low vision but all are welcome.

Places to Bird in Guelph​

  • There are numerous places (aka hotspots) to find birds in Guelph/Wellington.  Check out this hotspot map on eBird for an exhaustive list.
  • Some favourite spots that are accessible include:

🚌Public Transit ♿Accessible 💲Fee

Feeding the Birds/Attracting Birds to your Yard

·         The University of Guelph Arboretum and Wild Birds Unlimited- Guelph has resources and knowledge about attracting local birds to your yard with feeders and fountains.

·         Check out this Birds Canada podcast on feeding birds.

Northern Cardinals by Hayley Wilson. Enjoy bird-watching right in your own back yard! Remember, placing your feeder right next to a window is the ideal location to to help prevent bird-window collisions. The birds will slow down when approaching the feeder, and will be less likely to be flying with enough speed to injure themselves if they do hit the window.

Buying Shade Grown Coffee

 To learn more about the link between birds and coffee listen to this Birds Canada podcast and  Finding Bird Friendly® certified coffee.

Birding for new Canadians

The following translation resources may be helpful especially for people who are new to Canada or for whom English is a second language. Birds found in Canada may have names in other languages associated with related species in other countries. 

Advanced Birding

Guelph is home to many advanced birders! If you already have experience with birding, the resources listed below may be of interest to you.

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