Should Edmonton have an official bird?
A fun and friendly initiative encourages local citizens to cast a ballot for the native bird they think best represents the city.
Voting began in October, and after several rounds involving a plethora of options, the field has been narrowed to the top three – the Boreal Chickadee, the Black-billed Magpie and the Blue Jay.
Edmontonians have until March 31 to vote out of the three.
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The contest is operated under Bird Friendly Edmonton, a joint force between several nature groups including Edmonton Nature Club, Nature Alberta, Edmonton Valley Zoo, North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society and Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition.
Catherine Shier, conversation coordinator at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, says while the contest is meant to be fun and light-hearted, it’s also to raise awareness.
“We are all about supporting the city plan’s goal of celebrating our biodiversity and maintaining our natural area,” Shier said.
In 2022, Edmonton became the eighth Canadian city to receive a bird-friendly city certification from Nature Canada.
The recognition encourages cities to become safer places for birds by reducing deadly collisions with windows and roaming cats.
Watch the video at the top to hear Edmontonians’ opinions and a debate to determine Edmonton’s top bird.
