Black-capped chickadee won’t seek reelection in 2015 vote for Vancouver city bird

Last May, the black-capped chickadee became Vancouver's first democratically elected city bird.

In the inaugural city bird competition, the songbird known for its "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" call bested the Anna's hummingbird, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, and Pacific wren, topping the polls with 277,924 votes.

As the city's official bird for 2015, the chickadee took over the office from the northwestern crow, which was undemocratically appointed to the position for 2014.

With its commanding lead in last year's vote, the chickadee would have been a strong contender in the second city bird vote, expected later this year. But an announcement from the current city bird has thrown open the race to other species.

Today (January 20), the official Twitter account of the chickadee posted this message:

Alas, though I know many want me to stay on, my reign as #VanCityBird will only be for 2015, @StephenHui. #termlimits #needtimewithfamily

— BlackCappedChickadee (@vancityblackcap) January 20, 2015

It remains to be seen whether last year's runners-up, such as the northern flicker, will be permitted to campaign again.

According to the city's final report on Vancouver Bird Week 2014, attached to a January 7 staff report currently before council, the plan is to continue to hold the official bird vote every year.

The report states that "each year nominees would be chosen by a categorical theme (e.g. water birds, raptors or migratory songbirds)". Last year's nominees were limited to "resident bird species of the Lower Mainland".

Fun fact: the black-capped chickadee garnered over three times as many votes as did Mayor Gregor Robertson (83,529) in 2014.