W and Canada’s parliamentary poet laureate faced off over the five top birds in the National Bird Project at the Canadian Museum of Nature on Sept. 19, 2016, the result was a showcase of straight bird facts, poetic licence and more than a few lighthearted

The black-capped chickadee breaks down all barriers, provincial, regional and international, urban and rural. I like the fact that during the winter these birds can turn bushes and trees into of song, helping to keep us cheerful through the sometimes dark and gloomy reaches of February. And for that matter, January! (At least up until Valentine’s Day!)

Canada geese are Arctic and temperate in their range. It’s a northern bird; we are a northern country. It’s always found near water, and what better fit for Canada, which has more water than any other place on Earth? And the Canada goose doesn’t mind sharing that water with others, unlike the lonely, selfish loon, which hogs a whole lake.

If I had to come up with a bunch of words to describe Canadians, I would pick friendly, hardy, adaptable, intelligent, trusting and opportunistic. If I had to pick a bird that fit those characteristics, it would be the gray jay.

The snowy owl is, like Tilley hats and the Robertson screwdriver, a symbol synonymous with Canada and this nation’s northern disposition. It’s the only finalist found all across Canada throughout the year, from Alert, Nunavut, to the U.S. border and on both coasts, and it’s one of three finalists whose annual range includes the Prairies. So remember: a vote for the gray jay or the common loon is a vote against Canada’s wheat farmers!