Each province and territory selected an official bird that has common distribution and is easily recognizable. Three provinces’ choices were made in 1987 to celebrate the national centennial of wildlife conservation in Canada.
Alberta – The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) adopted May 3, 1977 by school children’s vote, is a resilient and resourceful bird that adapts to changes in climate and locations. A nocturnal bird of prey, it is identified by feathery ear tufts (horns). Gray-brown, it measures 18 to 25 inches with the female larger than the male. Mating for life, they produce one to five eggs each year before the snow melts and are non-migratory.
British Columbia --The Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) was chosen by provincial vote in 1987. "They selected an intelligent, mischievous, inquisitive clown..." said a government press release issued after the vote. Non-migratory, the 11-inch crested Steller's Jay is black and midnight blue. The slightly smaller female lays two to six eggs in the nest usually located in conifer trees.
Manitoba – The Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) was adopted July 16, 1987. The largest North American owl, it has a body length of 24 to 33 inches. Found in mountainous ranges to the tree line, it prefers dense forests with clearings and hunts mainly during dusk and dawn from a perch at the forest edge. The female produces two to four eggs, often in another bird’s abandoned nest.
New Brunswick – The Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) was adopted in August 1983 as a result of the provincial Federation of Naturalists’ contest. Found in deciduous or mixed woodlands, thickets, and yards, the small gray bird with white bib and black cap is an acrobatic hunter for larvae and insects in trees. It also hovers and probes for food. A cavity nester, the Chickadee produces six to eight eggs and is a permanent resident that migrates during food shortages.
Newfoundland/Labrador -- The Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) selected in 1991 is a diving seabird of the northern hemisphere. The black and white 12-inch Atlantic Puffin has a large parrot-like bill that is bright orange with patches of yellow and blue during breeding season. While living in colonies on rocky cliffs during summer, they produce one egg per year, then spend winter far out over the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Nova Scotia – The Osprey (Pandian haliaetus) adopted in 1994 by the House of Assembly, is a fish-eating raptor found hovering near the water or diving for prey. Its 21 to 24-inch body is brown with grayish breast and head and black patches on the wings and face. They produce two to four eggs in huge bundled nests atop trees near the water and migrate during winter.
Ontario – The Common Loon (Gavia immer) was selected by school children June 23, 1994. The large water bird with black and white checkered plumage during breeding season is brownish gray during non-breeding season. A great swimmer 26 to 36 inches in size, it has a long, pointed bill. Their nest with two to four eggs is placed along the shoreline. Loons migrate to the east and west coasts of North America, often to the Gulf of Mexico.
Prince Edward Island – The Blue Jay (Cyanocitts cristata) Easily-recognizable by the brilliant blue coloring, it was selected in 1977 by province-wide vote. A common, year-round dweller, the Blue Jay, measuring between 9 and 12 inches, is omnivorous. Their nest built near tree tops usually contains four to six eggs. Found east of the Rocky Mountains in deciduous forests and residential areas, the Blue Jays’ northern populations will move south in the winter.
Quebec – The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) In 1987 the National Assembly chose the Snowy Owl which nests in the northern Quebec tundra. The average females measure 26 inches and the males 23 inches. Plumage is variably barred or speckled with dark horizontal bars except on older adult males that may be almost pure white. When food is plentiful, the Snowy Owl lays up to 10 eggs that hatch one by one for a month. Many Snowy Owls move southward during winter.
Saskatchewan – The Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) adopted in 1945 is a large brown prairie bird measuring 16 to 19 inches, with white and dark spots, and a sharply pointed tail. The females lay from ten to thirteen eggs in a ground nest under shrubs or trees. Non-migratory they may move to find better habitat between seasons.
Northwest Territories – The Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) which is the largest true falcon, was adopted in 1990. In colors that range from white to black, its body length is 20 to 25 inches. Gyrfalcons live in both tundra and swampy coniferous areas with cliffs along shorelines, and migrate when food is scarce. Three to five eggs are laid in a cliff-face depression.
Nunavut – The Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) designated by the Legislative Assembly in 1999, moults from winter white to summer brown and lives in upland Arctic tundra areas that have thickets. They have six to ten eggs in a grass and moss-lined ground nest. Non-migratory except during food shortages, the males and females live in separate groups during winter.
Yukon Territory – The Raven (Corvus corax) Found throughout the Yukon, the Raven was adopted in October 1986. About 27 inches long (females slightly smaller) the entire body is black. An intelligent and opportunistic bird, the Raven prefers mountainous regions and wild uplands, but inhabits forests and will forage in suburban areas. They usually have three to seven eggs in nests that are located in large trees or on cliff faces. Some may travel short distances to avoid extreme weather.
Habitat Stewardship Program
The Habitat Stewardship Program administered by Environment Canada and managed with Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada is a conservation initiative sponsored by the Government of Canada that helps Canadians protect species and their habitats.
Reference:
The Birds of Canada, W. Earl Godfrey, National Museums of Canada, 1966
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