Wikipedia’s List of National Birds indicates that 106 of the world’s 195 countries have official birds. But Canada is not listed — because we do not have one. We do have other symbols… But alas, no official bird.
HOW CAN CANADA STILL NOT HAVE AN OFFICIAL NATIONAL BIRD?
BIRDS CAN ALSO TAKE CREDIT FOR UNITING NATIONS. — DAVID M. BIRD
Did you know t hat 2018 has been proclaimed the “Year of the Bird,” with hundreds of organizations from around the world representing millions of folks celebrating the centennial of the Migratory Bird Act, the most powerful and important bird- protection law ever passed? Did you know that a record number of ornithologists and bird-lovers will be gathering in Vancouver this coming August for the International Ornithological Congress and the world’s first edition of the International Vancouver Bird Festival?
Birding ( or bird- watching) continues to be one of the fastest growing hobbies in North America. One in five Canadians spends an average of at least 133 days a year watching, monitoring, feeding, filming or photographing the 450 or so different kinds of birds in our country. It almost doubles the 70 days a year Canadians spend gardening. More than a quarter of our households have installed feeders and bird houses in our backyards and almost 10 per cent of us have bought bird identification books and binoculars and have taken trips specifically to see birds. Canadians attend hundreds of bird festivals all over North America. This is big bucks for our economy.
But it’s not just about the money. Birds do a lot for humans. They eat pests, pollinate our plants and crops and disperse seeds. Their eggs and meat ( yes, chickens are birds) feed us and their feathers keep us warm. They have even helped us win wars by teaching our military about flight, camouflage and sentry systems, and by acting as vital message carriers. Birds have saved human lives not just by serving as literal canaries in coal mines but also by warning us of other environmental health hazards such as carcinogenic pesticides and industrial byproducts.
We also celebrate birds because of their intrinsic value. Who can deny that birds entertain us in so many ways with their beauty, their song and their flight? How many great writers, artists, filmmakers and even aviators and astronauts were inspired by these amazing creatures? In short, a world without birds would not just be a biologically diminished world but also an emotionally diminished one. And if we lost our birds, we would lose ourselves.
Birds can also take credit for uniting nations. In 1789 G eorge Washington be- came the first president of the United States, and the Founding Fathers chose the bald eagle for the country’s official bird because of its fierce beauty and proud independence. Americans t oday revere t heir bald eagle. Drive anywhere in the States and you will see flags and signs depicting the bird. Trained bald eagles are often flown at major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Indianapolis 500.
Wikipedia’s List of National Birds indicates that 106 of the world’s 195 countries have official birds. But Canada is not listed — because we do not have one. We do have other symbols. The beaver was given official status as an emblem of Canada on March 24, 1975. Its hard-working nature and its role in early commerce helped make Canada what it is today. Our country was also built on forestry and the maple sugar industry, which convinced our government to adopt the maple tree, at least the generic version, as an official symbol in 1996. Watch any Olympics or i nternational athletic contest and one cannot help notice that we have two official colours — red and white. That was a result of the proclamation of Canada’s coat of arms by King George way back in 1921. Put those colours and the maple leaf together and voila, we created our Canadian flag, one recognized all over the world. And every Canadian worth his or her salt knows that ice hockey is our game. The National Sports of Canada Act on May 12, 1994, officially declared ice hockey as the national winter sport, and lacrosse as the national summer sport. We’ve even got a national horse. But alas, no official bird.
This should change. An official bird would not only represent all of those wonderful things that birds do for us, but also symbolize the very nature of Canadians as being the friendly, hardy and intelligent people the world has come to know us as.
With thousands of ornithologists and bird- lovers from around the world gathering in Vancouver in August, it’s a perfect time for our federal government to officially adopt a National Bird. And yes, I know that such things do not take place overnight in government circles, but just a mere announcement of intent is all that would be needed in 2018. Let’s get it done.