NeilyWorld      Birding Ottawa - Listers' Pages

         The Ottawa/Gatineau 50-km Checklist Circle, affectionately known as simply "The Circle", has been used by the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club (OFNC) as its study area since 1895 (with minor changes). It is a 50 kilomtre circle centred on the Peace Tower. For a graphic and further description of this area, see the Circle page. The Ottawa/Gatineau 50-km Checklist Circle Lifelist is defined as the total number of species of wild and unrestrained birds identified by a given observer within the checklist circle during his lifetime. Birds must be on the official area checklist to be counted. This includes all those on the latest OFNC printed checklist and those accepted subsequently by the Birds Records Subcommittee of the OFNC.

         No vetting is done on any reported totals to insure that everyone follows the rules rigidly. Therefore be aware that there is some discrepancy in comparibility of lists. Many Ottawa birders count Wild Turkey (now a common species here) on their Ottawa lists. Strictly speaking, they should not - since it is not yet on the Ottawa checklist. It is an introduced bird that has not yet met the criteria for being accepted as established. This process can take many years. Trumpeter Swan is another such species, occurring in Ottawa now as a result of recent introductions. Most Ottawa birders have seen these two species, and some (including myself) do not count them in the totals below, while several others do, increasing their numbers slightly. I would like to eliminate this discrepancy, but see no easy way to do so.