In 1997, OFO’s first distinguished ornithologist was the legendary Earl Godfrey. It was stated that his
“enthusiastic encouragement of young birders launched the careers of many natural science specialists throughout
Canada.” Bruce Di Labio, the recipient of the 2023 OFO Distinguished Ornithologist Award personifies such a lifelong
contribution to bird study.
Like many, Bruce’s passion for birds began early on. In 1965, at the tender age of seven, he hand-tamed a
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) at his family cottage at Constance Bay. For the nearly six decades
since, bird study has been a driving force in Bruce’s life. His contributions to our knowledge of birdlife in
Ontario and Canada have been enormous over this entire period. Over thousands of days in the field, his passion and
commitment to learning and sharing has never waned.
Bruce cut his teeth on birding during his teen years in the Ottawa valley. He was one of about a dozen slightly
rabid youths collectively known as “the bike gang.” In the fall of 1971, this group also included Bruce Mactavish,
Stephen O’Donnell, Tom Hince, Jim Harris, Brian Garvin, Tom Plath and Mike Bentley. To clarify, the bike gang used
bicycles and were not motor-or electric-powered in any way. This moniker was first somewhat respectfully applied by
Peter Whelan, the national birding columnist for The Globe and Mail. Over the years, it grew to become a badge of
honour and skill.
When Bruce first came onto the bike gang scene, he was dubbed “question man.” This label acknowledged his immense
driving thirst for learning — something which has never changed despite many years in the field. Growing up in this
intensely competitive group, Bruce soon became one of their leaders. Throughout most of his teen years, he and the
other bike gang members were out in the field for over a hundred days a year, and often from dawn to dusk. Being
young, driven, and with keen eyes and ears, many members of this group soon matched, and then surpassed, much of the
adult community in both experience and skill level. While some adults were dismissive and miffed, others, such as
Earl Godfrey, Ron Pittaway, Monty Brigham and Richard Poulin, encouraged and celebrated this development.
A varied career
Bruce used his travel experience and knowledge to focus on birding in the Ottawa valley. As he grew up, he became a
major player in the regional community. At the age of 17, he led his first bird hike for the Ottawa Field
Naturalists’ Club (OFNC). His contributions grew throughout his twenties. He frequently led field trips, gave talks,
organized and compiled Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) and other regional censuses, and wrote numerous articles in
publications of the Ottawa Field Naturalists. Speaking of CBCs, Bruce has participated in the Ottawa-Gatineau CBC
for 52 consecutive years and is the founder and compiler of the Dunrobin CBC (now running for 42 years). In 1983,
the OFNC acknowledged his important contributions to the knowledge of regional birdlife and natural history as the
recipient of the Anne Hanes Award. In 1996, the OFNC awarded him an Honorary Lifetime membership for significant
contributions to Canadian natural history.
Bruce managed to turn his immense knowledge into a varied and productive professional career — and all with birds.
In the late 1970s, he began working for Dr. Henri Ouellet and Dr. Earl Godfrey at the Canadian Museum of Nature
(formerly National Museum of Canada), as an ornithological technician. In addition to fieldwork, he specialized in
specimen preparation and collecting, and he contributed significantly to the museum’s avian reference collection.
Next was a position at the Canadian Nature Federation, where he spent several years as their staff naturalist. This
made Bruce realize that his real calling was to instill his passion for birds in others.
With the confidence and experience gained from these positions, Bruce soon moved on to the private sector. Here he
combined environmental consulting and field work with a career as a professional birding and nature guide. Bruce’s
talent for birding and affable nature made his success in guiding inevitable. He worked relentlessly for his charges
and was always patient and nurturing. This resulted in an incredibly faithful clientele who wanted to bird with
Bruce — wherever or whenever.
His field skill was sought out by several of the continent’s biggest tour companies, and he soon became a regular
local guide on several rosters. Bruce though, had bigger ideas. He loved to travel and soon began adventuring and
guiding outside eastern Ontario. Initially, he led adventures to sites like Prince Edward Point, Point Pelee
National Park and Moosonee/Shipsands Island. Inspired by this success, it wasn’t long before he was guiding across
Canada. Frequent destinations included Saskatchewan, the Alberta Rockies, the Yukon, Newfoundland and Churchill. In
Churchill, Bruce fell in love with this dynamic northern site and coined it “the Pelee of the north.” Over the
years, he has guided more than 20 groups there, and recorded more species than any other birder.
But the world beckoned. As his guiding business grew, he organized and led trips across the globe. Sites he visited
multiple times included Australia, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica and South
Africa. Cuba, which soon became his favourite island, was the site of over 20 trips. Through all these trips, Bruce
gained a reputation as a highly skilled leader who was patient, organized and professional. Most of all, he was
passionate about birds and nature wherever he travelled — and a heck of a lot of fun to spend time with.
After more than forty years of professional bird guiding, Bruce finally retired in 2021.
Community
For many people in eastern Ontario, Bruce has always been the face of birding. If there was something going on in
the bird world, the Ottawa media would soon be calling Bruce for facts, quotes, or a full-blown article or feature.
He made birding look cool and inviting and no doubt encouraged a huge number of people to join our group. He never
forgot those who took the time to help him along the way. He was always willing to speak to a school group, lead a
hike, or take some time to answer the endless questions that come with being an expert birder.
He took photos — lots of photos — and not just of birds. As we’ve aged, those non-bird images have become remarkable
touchstones of the shared journey we’ve taken. Without them, our aging minds might wonder if those stories were real
or imagined.
A driving member of OFO
Bruce has contributed enormously to the growth of OFO through leading hikes and organizing field trips for members,
promoting membership in OFO, speaking at OFO conferences (including being the keynote speaker), and writing numerous
articles, notes and site guides in Ontario Birds and OFO News. In addition, Bruce was a voting member of the Ontario
Bird Records Committee for three years. And of course, there was also the enormous number of rare birds he found and
shared!
Eastern Ontario — more than Ottawa
In the 1970s, Ottawa had an emerging and dynamic birding community. It included professional ornithologists like
Earl Godfrey, visionary birders like Ron Pittaway and Monty Brigham, and emerging talented youths like Bruce. In the
rest of Ontario, Ottawa was essentially the beginning and end of eastern Ontario. Bruce would soon change that view.
Many of our previous distinguished ornithologists have shown the way in documenting new frontiers for birding in the
province. Beginning in the late seventies, Bruce would put the rest of eastern Ontario on the map. His greatest
discovery was the legendary Cornwall-Massena dam. Documenting the birding at this site soon became his obsession.
Year after year, he chalked up a dizzying array of rarities, high counts and other notable finds. How many old-time
Ontario listers have roared down the 401 to search for another amazing rarity found by Bruce? No one ever hesitated.
If he called it, it was gold.
To put it in perspective, over two decades, Bruce found three species of alcids, including Ontario’s first
Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix), and one of the few gettable Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) and
both Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) and Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) at this one site alone.
Publications
In his early years, Bruce needed a nudge to put pen to paper, but with the support and encouragement of his wife
Laurie, he soon became a prolific writer. Over the decades, he has authored dozens of articles in Ontario Birds, OFO
News, Ontario Birding News, Birders Journal, Nature Canada, Trail and Landscape, The Canadian Field Naturalist and
The Blue Jay. Topics ranged from hybridization in goldeneyes to the first record of Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
in Ontario to site guides for the Cornwall Dam and Chaffey’s Locks. In addition, he wrote an enormous number of
popular articles, contributing for four years as a weekly birding columnist for The Ottawa Citizen.
Going Big
Bruce has always loved a challenge. As you would expect, he holds virtually all the top ten Big Year records for the
Ottawa region, but he also loves Big Days. There is no doubt that Big Days are the ultimate test of a birder’s skill
and knowledge. At this, Bruce has always excelled. He captained the Bushnell Nighthawks to victory in five out of
eight Taverner Cup competitions in eastern Ontario. His unmatched knowledge of eastern Ontario bird distribution was
a huge asset.
In 1990, he joined friends Paul Pratt and Tom Hince on the Kowa Optics birding team in the World Series of Birding
in New Jersey. They soon became the feared “Canadians” and dominated the event for nine years, winning the overall
competition three times (Urner Stone Cup), and earning the top-ranking out-of-state team eight times (Edwin I.
Stearns Award). In their ninth and final year, they geared back and won both the Cape Island Cup and the Local
Geographic Area Award just for good measure.
Before easing back from Big Days, Bruce and the Canadians entered and won the Great Texas Classic (a five-day long
birding marathon). The next year, they returned to Texas and broke the long-standing North American and U.S. Big Day
record (they are still the only international team to hold either record). In summary, Bruce has held the North
American, U.S., Texas, and New Jersey Big Day records — an amazing feat!
In recent years, he has slowed little and on four separate occasions has been an OFO Celebrity Birder for the annual
Great Canadian Birdathon (once partnered with son Benjamin and three times reunited with Paul and Tom).
Bruce’s Legacy – Mentorship
Bruce has never forgotten his roots, or those who took the time to nurture his love for birds. He has always been a
patient and encouraging mentor, instilling that passion in many others. There are numerous testaments to his
mentorship, but two come to mind.
The first involves Jeremy Bensette who established a new Ontario Big Year record in 2017. Jeremy gave Bruce credit
for not only finding several outstanding rarities that got him over the top, but for his ongoing encouragement
throughout the year. If you know Bruce well, none of this is a surprise.
A second story involves Bruce’s son Benjamin (Ben). Over the last fifteen years, Bruce and Ben have become a regular
sight where birders gather — especially Point Pelee in spring. Ben has become a highly talented field observer who
can more than hold his own when toe to toe with Dad. Indeed, how many among us would have readily identified
Ontario’s first Little Egret? Ben did. And Bruce gave him full credit.
They say that life is a circle. In the end, what we accomplish is more than us. It is the people we encourage,
influence and help to succeed. I see the photo in 1997 of Bruce presenting Earl Godfrey with the very first OFO
Distinguished Ornithologist Award. I know Dr. Godfrey would be thrilled to see that young man’s decades of
contributions recognized here. Congratulations Bruce!
Tom Hince
