No national bird in Canada – what a pity.
Or so say Toronto Star readers and thousands of other Canadians who have flocked to an online petition to try to pick a feathered representative for the country.
Nearly 3,000 Canadians have so far submitted suggestions for a national avian to the website of the Canadian Raptor Conservancy, which set up the petition urging Ottawa to select an official bird.
Executive director James Cowan wants to get 200,000 signatures and a variety of suggestions on which bird should become Canada’s newest national symbol.
The bird must be found in most provinces and territories, it can’t be a provincial bird or a national bird for another country and it must say something about being Canadian, Cowan said. Cowan’s personal pick is the red-tailed hawk, a choice backed by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty earlier this week.
In a Star poll, readers were split almost evenly about whether or not the red-tailed hawk would be a good choice for Canada’s newest national symbol. In online comments, readers suggested other candidates, including the loon, the northern goshawk, the peregrine, the osprey, the seagull, and the puffin.
From most popular to least, the top 10 candidates submitted to the Conservancy so far are:
1. The red-tailed hawk, a bird of prey with a wingspan of 114 to 133 centimetres;
2. The Canada goose, which migrates in a V-formation in spring and fall;
3. The common loon, known for its distinctive, haunting cry;
4. The raven;
5. The grey jay or whiskey jack, a light grey bird with a partial black cap;
6. The great blue heron, largest of the North American herons;
7. The snowy owl, official bird of Quebec;
8. The short-billed crow, found across Canada;
9. The snow goose, which typically has white plumage;
10. The tundra swan, which breeds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.
The petition is online at canadianraptorconservancy.com.
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The red-tailed Hawk, a bird of prey with a wingspan of 114 to 133 centimetres, is the top contender in the contest so far. Its tail is usually brown below and cinnamon red above.
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The Canada Goose, known for its loud honking call, is in the second spot. It has a wingspan from 90 centimetres to two metres and is usually greyish brown to very dark brown. The bird is mostly monogomous and most mate for life. The birds migrate in a V-formation in spring and fall.
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The Canada Loon is in third spot. It has black and white checkered back and wings with a black head and white belly and a distinctive white necklace or band around its throat. Its wingspan is 1.2 metres.
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The Raven, an all black bird and a member of the crow family is in fourth place. The common raven is between 56 and 69 centimetres in length. Its lifespan is 10 to 15 years.
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The Grey Jay or Whiskey Jack, a member of the Jay family, is fifth. It is light grey with a partial black cap. The bird lives in pairs and is very territorial.
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The Great Blue Heron, the largest of the North American herons, is in sixth place. Its length head to tail is 91 to 140 centimetres and its wingspan runs between 167 and 201 centimetres. It has a distinctive pair of black plumes running from above the eye to the back of the head.
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The Snowy Owl, the official bird of Quebec, is in seventh spot. It is a nomadic bird with a 125 to 150 centimetre wingspan. Its feathers are all white.
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The Crow, the short-billed crow found across Canada, is in eighth place. It has iridescent black feathers and is 40 to 50 centimetres in length. Each wing is 27 t 34 centimetres.
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The Snow Goose, which typically has white plumage, is in ninth spot. Its wingspan ranges from 135 to 165 centimetres.
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The Tundra Swan, which breeds in the arctic and subarctic, is in 10th place. The bird summers in grasslands and marshes. It flies at the altitude of eight kilometres. It is white with black feet and has a wingspan of 170 to 195 centimetres.
