Our national bird (not the poopy bird) & provincial birds

[shootingstar]

Official Birds of Canada - Provincial Birds (thespruce.com)  There are some photos.

I did  see the Canada jay (which the  American Orithinological group try to slap name as gray jay. But we took back.  Article gives little story). Article  is older. The bird is declared as national. More about the little one:National Bird Project - Canadian Geographic - Vote for Canada's national bird   My shot at Banff National park . 2nd shot is someone else's from article. I believe the bird was chosen because it is  found in all our territories and  provinces. It hangs around in our winters /doesn't  leave  Canada. Therefore  sweet and friendly/humble survivor. 

I did take photos for Alberta's  bird: Great Horned Owl and British Columbia's, stellar jay.  See below.

This weekend, Calgary announced its city bird:  black-capped chickadee. Last photo I took.  Photos were taken over the past 7 years and are  scattered throughout my blog. 

[shootingstar]

How someone's explains this bird is worthy of Canada's choice:

1) Found in all thirteen provinces and territories; it is only barely found in the U.S., in the Rocky Mt. region and Alaska;
2) A member of the corvid family, arguably the smartest birds on the planet;
3) Extremely friendly toward humans like all Canadians, often found panhandling on cross-country ski trails;
4) Very hardy like all Canadians, having highly adapted itself to living in very cold regions;
5) Figures strongly in First Nations folklore, also called the whiskey jack;
6) Is not an endangered species and thus, not at risk of disappearing;
7) Figures prominently in the boreal forest ecological zone, constituting a vast portion of our country worthy of protection and under pressure from clear-cutting and oil and gas development;
8) Not a hunted species, so it is not shot by Canadians;
9) Not an official bird species for any of the 10 provinces and recognized territories nor any other country (common loon is Ontario’s bird; snowy owl is Quebec’s bird)
10) Formerly called the Canada jay by ornithologists; its French name is mésangeai du Canada and its Latin name is Perisoreus canadensis!)
11) Stays in Canada year-round
12) Not flamboyant in its appearance, best representing the conservative nature of Canadians!
13) Not regarded as an obnoxious or nuisance species (like the Canada goose which is culled in the U.S.!)
14) Cannot be confused with any other bird species (99.6 per cent of Canadians cannot tell the difference between a raven and a crow!)
15) Not a circumpolar species, i.e., not found in other northern countries (as are the snowy owl and raven)

[MickinMD ★]

Ben Franklin thought the Turkey, not the Bald Eagle, was a better choice for National Bird of the USA because of its intelligence and hard work.

In Maryland, the Baltimore Oriole was chosen as Colonial and then State Bird for obvious reasons, but it's a relative rarity in the state.

Today, it's almost as inappropriate as is our state sport: jousting.

 

[ChrisL]

A couple of weeks ago I saw some qual (our state bird).  They are fairly rare in built up areas but go a few miles into the hills and they are abundant. 

[shootingstar]

10 hours ago, ChrisL said:

A couple of weeks ago I saw some qual (our state bird).  They are fairly rare in built up areas but go a few miles into the hills and they are abundant. 

I have never heard of your  bird.

[KrAzY]

My wife is mad because every year I somehow get babies to fly to me.. last year it was a bluejay, this year it looks to be a house finch. It is covered in baby bird formula and has imprinted on humans. we were trying to capture it so an bird rescue could come care for it, but we were unable to do so. we hope it comes back.
 

 

[ChrisL]

23 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

I have never heard of your  bird.

The Valley Qual.  They can fly but prefer to run in the thick brush & cover. 

https://library.ca.gov/california-history/state-symbols/#tab-b

[Further]

All the pics are great, I love the pic of the owl.