Edmonton will soon have its own winged representative, but first, the organization selecting our new bird icon is putting the decision in the hands of Edmontonians.
Bird Friendly Edmonton is holding a vote to choose a bird to represent the City of Edmonton while raising awareness about urban wildlife and biodiversity.
And while a quick walk outdoors may make it feel like we are a city full of just magpies and pigeons, that couldn’t be further from the truth! More than 300 bird species have been recorded in the city; some are here year-round, while others visit while migrating to and from their breeding grounds.
Bird Friendly has consulted hundreds of naturalists and Edmontonians and has whittled down the list of candidates to six birds that best represent the city. These birds can be found in many Edmonton neighbourhoods and natural areas year-round.
Here are the six birds competing for the title of Edmonton’s City Bird.
Blue Jay
BGSmith/Shutterstock
Downy Woodpecker
Videostudia/Shutterstock
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Cliff LeSergent/Shutterstock
Black-billed Magpie
rck_953/Shutterstock
Boreal Chickadee
Romeo Andrei Cana/Shutterstock
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Glass and Nature/Shutterstock
Anyone in the Edmonton area can cast one vote in each round to help choose Edmonton’s bird. The first round of votes will wrap up on December 31, and the top three birds will go to a second round of voting in the spring.
You can enter your vote here.
Which bird do you think best represents Edmonton? Let us know in the comments.