Common Loon and Bird Migration Research in Algonquin Provincial Park

Ron Tozer has been documenting the status and occurrence of birds in the Park, including Ontario's provincial bird, the Common Loon.

No one who has visited an Algonquin lake in the summer months can ever forget the magical and haunting laughter and wail of the Common Loon. For Ron Tozer, this sound has always reminded him of his time in Algonquin Park. Ron has had a life-long interest in birds, and the monitoring of natural phenomena. "Since 1954, when I was just 13, I have kept written records of my bird observations and many other natural history sightings as well. I have always been keenly interested in finding rare birds and recording the migration dates and behaviour of more common birds" says Tozer.

Ron Tozer received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and was also a Ph.D. Candidate at the School of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan. Since 1961, when Ron started work in Algonquin Park as a seasonal Park Naturalist, he has been documenting the status and occurrence of birds in the Park, including Ontario's provincial bird, the Common Loon. Ron Tozer has also shared his extensive knowledge concerning Ontario's birdlife as the author of The Checklist and Season Status of the Birds of Algonquin Provincial Park, co-editor of Ontario Birds (the journal of the Ontario Field Ornithologists), as a member of the Ontario Birds Record Committee, and as a Regional Coordinator for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas Projects.

Research Facility
Ron Tozer first started his bird migration research at the Algonquin Park Museum, which was opened in 1953. Today, Ron's research is based out of the Algonquin Visitor Centre, the more modern version of the Algonquin Park Museum, opened in 1993. Ron also uses his home just west of the Park as a research base.

Explore the Algonquin Visitor Centre

Suggested Reading
Educators: Learn more about Algonquin’s habitats, download readings and worksheets from the Educator Resources section of the Web Site, or you may also learn more through the following publications:

Birds of Algonquin Provincial Park Many visitors to Algonquin Park are unaware that it offers a unique opportunity for seeing and hearing the birds of Ontario. This book will introduce you to the main habitats of the Park and to many of the common species, 77 in all. Through colour photographs and short accounts we hope to encourage you to discover and enjoy them for yourself. more info

Checklist and Seasonal Status of the Birds of Algonquin Provincial Park Newly revised 2004 edition. This publication features a list of all of the bird species that have been recorded within Algonquin Park, as well as their status (e.g. common, uncommon, rare) and the time of year when they are normally found. There is also information on specific sites to go birding and to find some of Algonquin's specialties. more info

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