next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
to take the bird issue in h --0016e6d2830a48a53a04863dde7e Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi, The Red-tailed Hawk is not Canada's national bird yet! I heard Ian and James Cowan on the radio this morning, and I agree with Ian's comments about the Gray Jay. I also like the idea of the Common Raven, as I did many years ago when we debated NS's provincial bird. It's clever, hardy, doesn't mind cold weather or rugged terrain, adaptable, stays in Canada all year round, has lots of symbolism for native peoples, has great charisma, has a spectacular display and great flight powers, etc. Richard On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 9:12 AM, Don MacNeill <donmacneill@eastlink.ca>wrote: > The Red-tailed Hawk's voice is often used in movies whenever a Bald Eagle > is shown. The Bald Eagle's twitterings are probably not considered to be > majestic enough. It would be interesting that the Americans' national bird > have the voice of the Canadian national bird. > > Don > > Don MacNeill > donmacneill@eastlink.ca > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Elizabeth Doull <edoull@ns.sympatico.ca> > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > *Sent:* Friday, May 07, 2010 11:01 AM > *Subject:* [NatureNS] National bird of Canada > > Red-tailed hawk soaring above competitors in search for Canada's national > bird > > PAT HEWITT, Metro News > > May 06, 2010 > > > > TORONTO - Canada's quest for a national bird appears to be taking flight. > > With a Maple Leaf adorning the flag, a beaver on the nickel and lacrosse > and ice hockey as national sports, Canada seems well-endowed with national > symbols. > > But as the country's 143rd birthday nears, there is no national bird. > > Hope may be on the horizon, however, as the Canadian Raptor Conservancy has > collected a few thousand signatures on its online petition asking the > government to take the bird issue in hand. > > The survey asks Canadians to suggest a bird and explain why it's a good > pick. Six weeks into its campaign, the conservancy has received about 20 > suggestions, with the red-tailed hawk soaring high above the flock with 85 > per cent of the vote so far. > > Conservancy director James Cowan, who was in Toronto performing a birds of > prey show for students on Thursday, said the Canada goose and the loon are > tied for second place at about three or four per cent. > > Ontario residents are flocking to the red-tailed hawk and the loon. Even > Premier Dalton McGuinty has thrown his support behind the red-tailed hawk, > perhaps swayed by a nesting pair at the legislature. Atlantic Canadians > appear to favour the Canada goose. > > Crows, ravens, Lincoln's sparrows and whiskey jacks all have some votes. > But with 450 different types of birds spending at least a few months in the > country each year, Canadians have plenty to choose from. > > Cowan said provincial birds such as the loon, which is Ontario's bird, or > the snowy owl, which is Quebec's shouldn't be chosen. The national bird of > another country would also be ineligible. He'd prefer an endangered bird not > be selected, in case it becomes extinct. > > "It should be a bird that every Canadian I think sees in day-to-day life," > said Cowan. > > "Personally I feel it shouldn't have any natural enemies, because I really > don't want my national bird being picked on by some other animal out there." > > A handful of people questioned in downtown Toronto were surprised Canada > has no winged ambassador, but all had their own suggestions. > > "I like the robin redbreast. It's a plain one but it's red," said Melissa > Ware, 26, a fitness instructor. "I agree with promoting the natural wildlife > that we have here." > > Legal assistant Eduarda Tavare, 44, likes the loon, eagle or hawk. > > "The hawk would make more sense. I don't think anyone else has adopted the > hawk and they actually live in the city," she said. "As long as it's not the > pigeon, we're OK." > > Legal assistant Julie Carter, 48, thinks it's high time Canada gets a > national bird. > > "I always thought the goose was our national bird but I guess I'm wrong. So > I vote for the cardinal," said Carter. > > Bird watching is the No. 1 hobby in the world and digital photography is > helping boost its popularity, said Cowan. > > The conservancy, which performs 1,600 shows across the country each year, > discovered Canada doesn't have a national bird while researching its new > show season and hatched a plan to get one. > > Cowan said it would strengthen Canada's identity and could be used on > currency. > > "You can see where the bald eagle has shown up in the States, it's on their > seal. When the president does his speech there's the bald eagle right behind > him," he said. > > The group will offer a paper petition at summer shows including at > Toronto's CNE, Ottawa's SuperEx, Vancouver's Grouse Mountain and the Western > Fair at London, Ont. > > The group will take the petition to Parliament once it gets 200,000 > signatures. > > The bird that wins the most votes may not end up as the newest Canadian > symbol unless politicians agree it is the best one to represent the country, > cautioned Cowan. > > The petition can be found online atwww.canadianraptorconservancy.com > -- ################# Richard Stern, 317 Middle Dyke Rd. Port Williams, NS, Canada B0P 1T0 sternrichard@gmail.com ################### --0016e6d2830a48a53a04863dde7e Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi,<br><br>The Red-tailed Hawk is not Canada's national bird yet!=A0=A0= I heard Ian and James Cowan on the radio this morning, and I agree with Ia= n's comments about the Gray Jay. I also like the idea of the Common Rav= en, as I did many years ago when we debated NS's provincial bird. It= 9;s clever, hardy, doesn't mind cold weather or rugged terrain, adaptab= le, stays in Canada all year round, has lots of symbolism for native people= s, has great charisma, has a spectacular display and great flight powers, e= tc.<br> <br>Richard<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 9:12 = AM, Don MacNeill <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:donmacneill@eastli= nk.ca">donmacneill@eastlink.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class= =3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid= rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> <div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff"> <div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2">The Red-tailed Hawk's voice is oft= en used in movies=20 whene