Bald eagle or falcon? Hamilton and Burlington residents vote for favourite city bird

It might be the majestic bald eagle, the feisty cormorant or the chattering chimney swift. These are just a selection of the birds that could become the favourite city bird of Hamilton and Burlington.

The public has until March 6 to pick their bird of choice from a list of 10 for each city. While some might imagine the winning bird emblazoned on an official flag or a fancy logo, the city bird chosen will help move both cities closer to receiving a Bird Friendly Cities designation, a program started by Nature Canada in 2020. 

The campaign is run locally by Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington, and the group has been urging businesses and government to make changes to protect birds. Using construction techniques that minimize birds crashing into buildings and minimizing light pollution are just two ways to make a city more bird friendly.

Bird nominations opened in December and after 353 nominations were made, the group has narrowed down the list to 10 choices in both Hamilton and Burlington. 

Now local residents vote on their favourite. The beauty of a particular bird might be a reason to vote for it, or a bird's role in nature could be compelling, such as the turkey vulture's job of cleaning up dead animals and preventing the spread of disease. Or, as one voter said about the red-tailed hawk on the city bird website: "I wrote about them in my poetry collection and painted a red-tailed hawk for the cover of the book. Now that we're on the mountain, I still watch for hawks. Hawks are ubiquitous no matter where you go in Hamilton."

Whichever the winner, Barry Coombs, a member of the local Bird Friendly team, says he hopes the campaign raises awareness. 

"The poll will draw attention to the plight of birds, especially in our urban environment," says Coombs.

By logging on to the poll, voters can see the list. In Hamilton the choices are the bald eagle, Carolina wren, chimney swift, double-crested cormorant, killdeer, Northern cardinal, Northern mockingbird, peregrine falcon, red-tailed hawk and turkey vulture.

Some of these birds have made a comeback from near extinction, while others, including the chimney swift, are in peril due to loss of habitat.

The bald eagle makes an appearance on the list in Burlington as well as Hamilton. Birders see it as a symbol that Hamilton in particular is more than just industry viewed from the Skyway Bridge. As a top predator, the bald eagle's presence here is proof that the local ecosystem is relatively healthy, as the city bird website explains.

This end of Lake Ontario is a birding hotspot. According to Environment Hamilton, over 400 species pass through each year. They perch on trees along the escarpment, visit Cootes Paradise marsh and the harbour and, as the resident peregrine falcons have shown, nest on the ledges of buildings in Hamilton's downtown core.

One of the most popular birds on the Burlington list will likely be the trumpeter swan, according to Coombs, as they are a noble presence along the harbour shoreline where birders and the public see them congregating at LaSalle Park. 

Coombs notes that a group of Burlington residents have worked to restore their population. "There is a strong attachment to them in Burlington," Coombs says. "Volunteers here were key in the effort to rebuild trumpeter swan numbers."

By the time voting closes in March, the spring migration will have begun, a time when even the casual bird watcher senses a new beginning.

Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington will then announce the two city birds, Coombs says — an accomplishment that will move the communities closer to certified bird-friendly cities.