Avitura

09/03/2026

One of the things I love most about birding is how differently everyone finds their way into it.

For Michelle Toth, that journey has been shaped by curiosity, family, music, wildlife, and a growing fascination with the birds around her. Over several Avitura outings, I’ve had the chance to watch that interest deepen, from winter searches for Snowy Owls with her dad to finally finding one of her most-wanted birds, a Barred Owl.

Her reflections on birding, community, guided experiences, and learning to notice more of the natural world really stayed with me. Genuinely, seeing someone’s excitement when they finally connect with a bird they have hoped to see for years is one of the best parts of guiding.

I wrote a new post around Michelle’s own words and experiences: The World Hiding in Plain Sight.

It’s really about more than birds. It’s about curiosity, paying attention, and how much becomes visible once we learn where to look. I’d love to hear your answers to these same questions too. Everyone finds their way to birds a little differently, and those stories are always worth sharing.

A conversation with birder Michelle Toth about curiosity, community, memorable encounters, and the moments that turn a growing interest in birds into something much deeper. From Snowy Owls on winter roads to a long-awaited Barred Owl in the woods, this story is about learning to notice more, look cl

08/30/2026

One of the most meaningful parts of working in biology is being able to pass knowledge forward.

Over the years, bird banding has become more than a research tool for me. It has also become a way to teach new biologists how to observe carefully, handle wildlife responsibly, interpret what they are seeing, and understand the science behind the data they collect.

This blog is a reflection on that process: mentorship, field experience, curiosity, and the importance of giving emerging biologists the opportunity to build confidence through real, hands-on science.

The birds are an important part of the story, but so are the people learning from them.

Read the full blog here:

This summer at Hobbitstee, we have been introducing the next generation of biologists to bird banding, field biology, and the fundamentals of good research. While bird banding may be an old science, the lessons behind it remain deeply relevant: careful observation, consistency, animal welfare, thoug

08/12/2026

There it is. The first birds banded as part of our post release study.

Three American Kestrels were banded and released this week after lengthy stays in rehabilitation, each beginning the next stage of a story we hope to keep following.

Meet K22, a hatch year male who arrived in care as an orphan. After months of growing, learning to fly and, importantly, learning how to hunt for himself, K22 was finally ready to return to the wild.

He was fitted with one of our auxiliary bands before release, giving us the chance to identify him again if he is resighted in the future. Every observation has the potential to help us better understand what happens to rehabilitated birds after that moment of release.

As for the release itself... apparently I was so focused on watching K22 fly that I forgot I was also supposed to keep the camera pointed at him. So you'll have to enjoy the few seconds of slow motion I actually managed to capture.

Good luck out there, K22.

And keep your eyes open. If you happen to spot an American Kestrel sporting one of our bands, you might just be helping us write the next part of his story.

08/08/2026

Sunset at the marsh just hits different.

08/07/2026

There are some birds that just never really look ordinary, no matter how many times you see them. Yellow headed Blackbirds are one of those birds for me.

During a recent trip to Manitoba, we came across a small pond that was absolutely alive with them. The views were incredible, with these brilliant yellow heads glowing against the cattails and dark marsh vegetation. They are such striking birds that they almost look out of place in the landscape.

And then there is the sound. Their call is one of my favourites simply because of how bizarre it is. Harsh, mechanical, almost prehistoric. It sounds like something that should be coming from a creature in a Jurassic wetland rather than a blackbird sitting on a cattail.

We stayed there for a while just watching and listening. Nothing particularly complicated about the moment, just a beautiful little prairie pond, some incredible birds, and nowhere else we needed to be.

Those unexpected stops are often the ones I remember most. A place you could easily drive straight past suddenly becomes one of the highlights of a trip.

Yellow headed Blackbirds certainly know how to make an impression.

08/05/2026

Avitura has officially launched its blog.

Our first post introduces an exciting new partnership with Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge and a post release study focused on better understanding the survival, movement, and behaviour of rehabilitated raptors.

Stay tuned as we share more about the project, the science behind it, and the individual birds that will help shape the research.

https://www.avitura.ca/blog/beyondrelease

Photo credit to Georg Hentsch

Explore stories from the field, seasonal birding insights, species profiles, conservation science, travel inspiration, and updates from Avitura. Each article is designed to deepen your understanding of birds, their movements, and the landscapes they depend on.

08/01/2026

It may not feel like it yet, but summer is already beginning to slip away, and with it comes one of the most beautiful transitions of the year, fall migration.
For many birders, the first real signs of the season changing are not always obvious.

They arrive quietly, on the edges of our shorelines, mudflats, and beaches, where shorebirds begin moving south toward their wintering grounds. Adults and juveniles alike start to filter through Southern Ontario, offering a remarkable opportunity to admire a group of birds that is often subtle, delicate, and endlessly fascinating.

Over the years, I have developed a deep appreciation for shorebirds. What may seem at first like a modest group quickly becomes something far more captivating, fine patterns, elegant structure, incredible journeys, and the rewarding challenge of learning to truly see them. They have become one of my favourite parts of fall migration, and I am excited to share that passion with others.

This fall, Avitura will be offering weekly one hour outings focused on shorebirds, along with experiences centered on confusing fall warblers, the science of bird banding and telemetry, and more. These offerings will soon be featured on our website.
If you have ever wanted to experience the beauty of shorebird migration, sharpen your identification skills, or simply spend time outdoors appreciating one of the most underrated spectacles of the season, I would love to share it with you.

Fall is closer than it seems, and migration is already underway.

07/27/2026

I rarely expect to encounter a new mammal species in Ontario, so finding this Franklin’s Ground Squirrel near Kenora was a genuine thrill. Completely unexpected and easily one of the coolest surprises from my time in the field. Ontario still has a few secrets left.

07/09/2026

Bird banding has a long and fascinating history. For more than a century, researchers have used small, individually numbered bands to help understand where birds go, how long they live, when they migrate, how populations change, and how different species use the landscapes around us.

At its core, bird banding is both simple and powerful: a bird is safely captured, carefully handled by trained banders, measured, aged when possible, banded, and released. Each bird becomes part of a much larger scientific story.

Avitura is beginning to become more involved in this work, helping share not only the beauty of birds, but also the science behind how we study and understand them.

The photos shared here offer a glimpse into that work, but they are only the beginning. Through Avitura, we will be sharing more about the science behind banding, what researchers can learn from each bird, how migration monitoring works, and why this type of long-term data matters for conservation.

More to come soon.

El anillamiento de aves tiene una historia larga y fascinante. Durante más de un siglo, los investigadores han utilizado pequeños anillos numerados individualmente para comprender hacia dónde se mueven las aves, cuánto tiempo viven, cuándo migran, cómo cambian sus poblaciones y cómo utilizan los distintos paisajes que las rodean.

En esencia, el anillamiento de aves es una herramienta simple, pero muy poderosa: un ave es capturada de manera segura, manejada cuidadosamente por anilladores capacitados, medida, determinada por edad cuando es posible, anillada y luego liberada. Cada ave pasa a formar parte de una historia científica mucho más grande.

Avitura está comenzando a involucrarse más en este trabajo, ayudando a compartir no solo la belleza de las aves, sino también la ciencia detrás de cómo las estudiamos y comprendemos.

Las fotos compartidas aquí ofrecen una pequeña mirada a este trabajo, pero son solo el comienzo. A través de Avitura, compartiremos más sobre la ciencia detrás del anillamiento, lo que los investigadores pueden aprender d

07/08/2026

Shorebird season is all about the details.

At first glance, many sandpipers can look frustratingly similar. Brown above, pale below, quick-moving, and often feeding shoulder-to-shoulder along muddy edges. But with practice, the small details begin to stand out.

The Pectoral Sandpiper is a great species to learn from. Look for its warm brown upperparts, slightly drooped bill, yellowish legs, and most importantly, the sharply defined “pectoral” band across the breast, where the streaking ends abruptly against the clean white belly.

Learning shorebird identification is not about memorizing every bird at once. It is about comparing structure, behaviour, size, bill shape, leg colour, and plumage patterns. Each bird becomes part of the bigger puzzle.

With Avitura, we focus on building these field skills in a calm, approachable way, helping birders gain confidence with one of the most challenging and rewarding groups of birds.

La temporada de aves playeras se trata de observar los detalles.

A primera vista, muchos playeros pueden parecer muy similares. Pardos por encima, pálidos por debajo, inquietos y alimentándose juntos en orillas fangosas. Pero con práctica, los pequeños detalles comienzan a destacar.

El Playero Pectoral es una excelente especie para aprender. Busca sus partes superiores de tonos cálidos y pardos, el pico ligeramente caído, las patas amarillentas y, sobre todo, la banda marcada en el pecho, donde el estriado termina de forma abrupta antes de llegar al vientre blanco.

Aprender a identificar aves playeras no se trata de memorizar todas las especies de una vez. Se trata de ir más despacio, comparar estructura, comportamiento, tamaño, forma del pico, color de las patas y patrones del plumaje. Cada ave se convierte en una pieza más del rompecabezas.

Con Avitura, nos enfocamos en desarrollar estas habilidades de campo de una manera tranquila y accesible, ayudando a los observadores a ganar confianza con uno de los grupos de aves más desafiantes y gratificantes.