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  BIRDS ON THE NIAGARA

BIRDS ON THE NIAGARA
is an

INTERNATIONAL WINTER CELEBRATION
​of the birds that call the
​
Niagara River Corridor home.

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Feature Presentation


COMING SOON
-VIRTUAL-
BON21
3RD Annual Birds On the Niagara International Bird Festival
February 12, 13, 14, 2021

You Will Be Able To Attend All Festival Programming On This Website and on Facebook

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Because of the ongoing pandemic, this years festival will be a virtual event.  All programs will be free to the public. The borders will remain closed for the foreseeable future. We are working on a line-up of terrific speakers and programs to run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, to celebrate this international bird festival to celebrate the amazing array of birdlife on the Niagara River Corridor Globally Significant Important Bird Area including gulls, waterfowl, and an irruption of winter finches and other far northern species that have come to the region. Stay-tuned to this space and our Facebook page for for updates!
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NEW October 2020

September 2020 Birder's Roundtable with Jay Burney, Marcie Jacklin, Marcus Rosten, Tom Kerr, Jajean Rose-Burney

NEW: September 2020

Purple Martins gathering on Grass Island in the Niagara River, September 4, 2020

Enjoy our Celebration of  World Migratory Bird Day 
​Saturday May 9, 2020

CLICK HERE
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Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day 2020 
Niagara Region Birder's Roundtable 

With Tom Kerr (Buffalo Audubon); Jajean Rose-Burney (Western New York Land Conservancy); Marcus Rosten (Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, WNY Prism); and Marcie Jacklin, Bert Miller Nature Club).  Hosted by Jay Burney 

See all of our  "Birds on the Niagara World Migratory Bird Day" and "Staying Connected"  VIDEOS CLICK HERE


LOOKING FORWARD TO BoN 2021
Our 2020 International Festival has concluded.  We look forward to the 2021 Festival with the knowledge that birds connect the world, and our region is an essential and consequential place that helps with those global connections. We look forward to seeing you all in February 2021!

Introduction to the February 2020 BoN Celebration


The International Niagara River Corridor linking Lake Erie with Lake Ontario is a Globally Significant Important Bird Area (IBA), and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. This unique place includes Buffalo, Grand Island, Niagara Falls, Lewiston, and Fort Niagara on the American side. Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, Queenston, and Niagara-on-the-Lake, can be found on the Canadian side. A passport or other border security ID is necessary to travel between the two sides. 

​This IBA​ and the Ramsar designation helps to characterize the region on a conservation level similar to the Galapagos, Yellowstone, and the Everglades relative to abundance,  variety, and threats to bird species. 

More Travel Information:
U.S Customs 
Canada Customs 
​​

The Niagara River Globally Significant Important Bird Area, and  and the Ramsar Wetland of International Importance designations help to characterize the region on a conservation level similar to the Galapagos, Yellowstone, and the Everglades relative to abundance,  variety, and threats to bird species. 

The Niagara is a freshwater, flowing, permanent river, connecting two large freshwater lakes.  It hosts numerous significant coastal fish and wildlife habitats including a riverine littoral zone in the upper Niagara River that is a unique ecosystem type in the Great Lakes.  Rare and threatened ecological communities are present with at least 21 species such as the Blanding's turtle and the Lake Sturgeon. Seven species are on the IUCN Red List, such as the Black-capped Petrel (extremely rare), and the Piping Plover (extremely rare) both protected federally in the US. 45 species of wildlife found here are protected in New York State. The Niagara is an incredibly important overwinter site for water birds. 92 pecies of birds are known to overwinter on the site including large congregations of at least 40 species of waterbirds.  The IBA designation lists 338 species of birds in all seasons can be found in Western New York and the Niagara Region of Ontario.
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Birds
In the winter, gulls waterfowl and other arctic travelers populate the open waters and shorelines of the Niagara. 


In spring and autumn, the parks along the river offer excellent opportunities for viewing of the migration seasons including neotropical songbirds. 

In summer the Niagara River hosts breeding populations of several colonial water birds such as Common Tern, Great Egret, and Black-crowned Night-Heron.

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This year the Birds on Niagara is Partnering with the
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

Observations at festival events will be reported to the count.

More Information on how you can register and count in your own backyard:

​
Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count Guide

Official Great Backyard Bird Count Site
​


WHO WE ARE

The Birds on the Niagara Winter Celebration is an International Event sponsored  and partnered with a variety of organizations. CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE

THE NIAGARA RIVER CORRIDOR

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video
​Niagara Winter Birds


slideshow


CHECKLIST OF BIRDS OF THE NIAGARA CLICK HERE

WHAT MAKES WINTER ON THE NIAGARA UNIQUE?

Open Water Attracts Hungry Birds

​The open waters of the Niagara provide excellent winter habitat for birds including many species gulls and waterfowl.  Some are quite abundant.   This an ideal place for winter avian residents and  travelers and a great place to see species of ducks, geese, and swans. In recent years irruptions of northern species including Snowy Owls.  winter finches, Redpolls and  Evening Grosbeaks

18 Gull Species in One Place

​The abundance of gull species in the winter is a significant ornithological event. The number of species recorded here, and the concentration of these species, is a spectacle that observers cannot forget.
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Snowy Owl on Buffalo's Outer Harbor
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  • Home
    • Who We Are
  • Checklist Birds of the Niagara
    • Winter Birds >
      • gulls
      • waterfowl
  • Video
  • The Niagara River IBA
  • Places to Visit Birds
    • Waverly Woods
  • Ramsar
  • Press