#VanCityBird 2016: Meet the new candidates for Vancouver city bird

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      Vancouver is on the hunt for a new city bird for 2016, and the campaigning starts right now.

      City hall and the park board have just kicked off the second annual super-serious city bird election by unveiling the four candidates: Peregrine Falcon, Western Grebe, Barn Owl, and Barn Swallow. All of the #VanCityBird nominees are described as "rare birds" and were green-lit by the city's bird advisory committee.

      Voting starts immediately and closes at the end of Vancouver Bird Week, which runs May 2 to 9. Physical ballot boxes—we're not kidding—are located at Central Library, Hillcrest Centre, Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre (site of the Bird Friendly Design Guidelines exhibition), Stanley Park Ecology Society, and VanDusen Botanical Garden. Anyone can also vote online multiple times.

      Last year, Black-Capped Chickadee became Vancouver's first democratically elected city bird. The songbird known for its "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" call bested Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, and Pacific Wren, topping the polls with 277,924 votes. (That's more than three times as many votes as Mayor Gregor Robertson netted in the 2014 civic election.)

      As the city's official bird for 2015, Black-Capped Chickadee took over the office from Northwestern Crow, which was undemocratically appointed to the position for 2014.

      City hall has produced this propaganda video about the city bird election.

      For the 2016 contest, an all-candidates debate is planned for April 24. And, of course, the birds—well, the city staffers campaigning for them on the public's dime—will be tweeting it up on Twitter during the campaign.

      Here's a look at the four contenders for Vancouver city bird in 2016.

       

      Peregrine Falcon

      Shutterstock

      Also known as: Falco peregrinus.

      Tweeting at: @vanperegrine.

      Get-out-the-vote slogan: "Kack-kack-kack-kack."

      Bird nerd fact: Mostly feeds on other birds, including pigeons.

      Campaign promise we made up: To end nestlessness by 2025.

       

      Western Grebe

      Shutterstock

      Also known as: Aechmophorus occidentalis.

      Tweeting at: @WesternGrebe.

      Get-out-the-vote slogan: "Kr-r-rick, kr-r-rick."

      Bird nerd fact: Known for "dancing" on water with "bits of weed" in its bill during courtship.

      Campaign promise we made up: To designate separated flight paths in the downtown core.

       

      Barn Owl

      Shutterstock

      Also known as: Tyto alba.

      Tweeting at: @heyitsbarnowl.

      Get-out-the-vote slogan: "Kleak-kleak."

      Bird nerd fact: Precise hearing means it can catch prey in the dark.

      Campaign promise we made up: To impose a new tax on vacant nests.

       

      Barn Swallow

      Shutterstock

      Also known as: Hirundo rustica.

      Tweeting at: @thebarnswallow.

      Get-out-the-vote slogan: "Cheep."

      Bird nerd fact: Nests under bridges, docks, and eaves.

      Campaign promise we made up: To lobby the federal government for a chick-care system that will cost parents one worm a day.

       

      Which one of the candidates should become Vancouver's city bird for 2016? Make your case in the comments!

      Comments

      2 Comments

      And yet you wonder...

      Apr 15, 2015 at 6:53pm

      why it appears so many people are going to vote against a tax increase when public money gets wasted on crap like this. The time wasted by city employees on propaganda like this has increased substantially since Vision took over, the entire propaganda department and budget has exploded since Gregor took power. Public money is wasted to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars by all levels of government by politicians but mostly by bureaucrats. Crap like this vote for a freaking city bird has to stop being paid for by tax payers. If it costs $1 that is too much but it costs far more than that.

      Bird Admirer

      Apr 29, 2015 at 3:57pm

      Developing some public interest in birds and their health makes us a better community and more environmentally conscious citizens. It's unforgivable that all the featured birds are rare (dying out). We need to know what we're doing to cause this disaster and take action to stop it. I appreciated getting to see the birds up close in the video and now better understand what is going wrong for them and what we can do to help their living conditions.. the bird specialist lady did a great job ;)