Here’s why swarms of giant birds are being seen in Ontario skies right now

Impressive auroras aren’t the only event turning Ontario residents’ heads skyward this week, as massive flocks of large birds with wingspans as wide as six feet are now being spotted over the city.

Multiple people have taken to social media in recent days, noting the presence of large birds in the skies above parts of the province, including downtown Toronto neighbourhoods.

One user turned to Reddit on Friday afternoon for answers about what they believed to be large hawks circling above, which have been identified as migrating turkey vultures.

Flock of…Hawks?

byu/bartontees intoronto

A social species that roosts in large community groups, turkey vultures can often be seen in significant numbers in this part of the country during the fall when the migratory species typically depart the region to fly south to escape the harsh Canadian winter.

Southern Ontario marks the northernmost extent of the bird’s vast range, which spans all the way to the southern tip of South America.

These enormous birds can be found in Ontario from the start of their breeding season (which lasts from March through June) until temperatures dip in mid-October, resulting in the large flocks now being seen gathering in Ontario skies in preparation for their flight south.

The subspecies present in southeastern Canada is known as the eastern turkey vulture, or C. a. septentrionalis, and is differentiated from other turkey vultures via its tail and wing proportions.

Eastern turkey vultures are less migratory than other turkey vulture subspecies, and will rarely head to areas further south than the southern United States during the winter before returning to their summer range to the north.

Easily mistaken for birds of prey by their similar silhouette with enormous wingspans and gliding flight characteristics, the turkey vulture is actually a scavenger that feeds almost exclusively on carrion, such as roadkill. 

So, your household pets are probably safe from these avian carnivores.

Turkey vultures aren’t the only species of bird causing commotion in Ontario right now, either.

Earlier this week, weather radar stations picked up a colossal migration of an unspecified species flying south from Ontario over Lake Erie towards Ohio.