Big birds in York Region

by Jo P.
(Newmarket, Ontario, Canada)

I have been watching these birds since the Spring of 2020 when Covid-19 hit. I have a clear vantage point from my back deck. At first I only saw a couple and now there are so many.

I'm not sure of the bird, but they are huge, at least 5 foot wing span and the body is quite large. I have seem them gliding in and out of clouds and there are a couple that fly directly over over our house no higher than the tree tops.

The colours I saw up close are brownish with a light colored head and hooked yellow orange beak. The picture I have added show this group had babies and they were quite far away.

I keep trying to capture a close up but they soar past so fast.

Have you had any reports of large birds in the Newmarket or Bradford area?

We also had a large bird fly over our back yard but it had a white head, orange or yellow beak with a mottled brown and white belly with a very large wing span.

With reduced air travel, it seems the bird population is growing.