As the leaves turn brilliant shades of red and gold, Ontario’s wildlife becomes more active and visible. Fall is the perfect season to spot animals preparing for winter, whether they’re gathering food or migrating south. From forests to backyards, you might be surprised by the creatures sharing your neighborhood.
Always observe wildlife from a safe distance and never approach or feed wild animals.
1. White-Tailed Deer
White-tailed deer roam through Ontario’s woodlands and fields during autumn, often spotted at dawn or dusk. Bucks grow impressive antlers and engage in the mating season called the rut, making them more visible and active.
You’ll notice their distinctive white tail flags when they bound away. They munch on acorns, berries, and fallen apples to fatten up before winter arrives.
2. Canada Goose
Honking loudly overhead, Canada geese form their famous V-shaped formations as they migrate south for winter. Their synchronized flight patterns help conserve energy during long journeys.
Many geese stop at Ontario’s lakes and rivers to rest and feed. Some populations actually stay year-round near urban areas where food and open water remain available throughout colder months.
3. Eastern Chipmunk
Scurrying frantically with bulging cheeks, eastern chipmunks work overtime collecting seeds and nuts before winter. These tiny hoarders can stuff incredible amounts of food into their stretchy cheek pouches.
Watch them darting between trees and burrow entrances in parks and backyards. They create underground pantries stocked with thousands of seeds to survive their winter dormancy period.
4. Red Fox
With their rusty coats growing thick and luxurious, red foxes become easier to spot during fall. They hunt for mice, voles, and rabbits across fields and forest edges.
Their bushy tails help with balance and warmth. Fall is when young foxes disperse from their family groups to establish their own territories, increasing sightings throughout Ontario’s countryside and suburban areas.
5. Wild Turkey
Strutting through fields and woodland edges, wild turkeys travel in flocks during autumn months. Males show off their impressive tail feathers even outside breeding season.
These large birds gobble and cluck while foraging for acorns, seeds, and insects. Ontario’s wild turkey population has rebounded dramatically, making them a common sight in rural and even some suburban neighbourhoods nowadays.
6. Painted Turtle
Soaking up the last warm rays of sunshine, painted turtles bask on logs and rocks near ponds and wetlands. Their colourful red and yellow markings brighten up grey fall days.
They’re maximizing their body temperature before brumation, a hibernation-like state. Soon they’ll settle into muddy pond bottoms where they’ll survive winter by absorbing oxygen through their skin.
7. Black Bear
Driven by intense hunger, black bears enter a phase called hyperphagia during fall, eating up to 20,000 calories daily. They devour berries, nuts, insects, and anything edible to build fat reserves.
Northern Ontario forests provide prime bear habitat. While generally shy, bears may wander closer to human areas searching for food, so secure garbage bins and bird feeders properly.
8. Great Blue Heron
Standing motionless like statues, great blue herons hunt fish in Ontario’s marshes, rivers, and lakeshores throughout autumn. Their patience is legendary as they wait for the perfect moment to strike.
These majestic birds stand over a metre tall with impressive wingspans. While some migrate south, others remain in Ontario where open water persists, adapting their fishing strategies to changing conditions.
