Latest news with #birdfriendly
CBC
09-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Gatineau selects pileated woodpecker as its official bird
The City of Gatineau, Que., now has an official bird. The pileated woodpecker was among five candidates up for the title, beating out the wood duck, the white-breasted nuthatch, the cedar waxwing and the belted kingfisher. A total of 4,182 residents cast ballots for their favourite feathered friend between May 9 and June 4, and Gatineau city council made the result official at a meeting Tuesday. It's part of the Gatineau's effort to become officially certified as a bird-friendly city under the guidelines set out by the conservation group Nature Canada. The certification aims to recognize and encourage municipalities that protect and promote bird habitats in urban areas. Ted Cheskey, naturalist director for Nature Canada, said the large, red-crested woodpecker chosen by Gatineau is an integral part of the ecosystem and an anchor species for the region's forest ecology. "There's, I think, 34 different species that use the old nest sites of [pileated woodpeckers] for their own nests," Cheskey told CBC's Ottawa Morning. "They're afraid of nothing and they have a great drumming sound that just resonates." A 'hard-working' bird According to a news release from the city, the pileated woodpecker plays an important role in maintaining local biodiversity because the cavities it excavates in its search for food provide shelter for several other animal species. The bird symbolizes the richness and diversity of the city's natural environment, as well as its resourceful human inhabitants, according to the release. "As a hard-working woodworker, it recalls the region's industrial history and the values of perseverance, solidarity and ingenuity that forged the city," the release states. On its website, the Club des ornithologues de l'Outaouais said it worked with the city to assess over 300 breeds for the title, considering such factors as how easy each contender is to identify for novice birders. Cheskey agreed the pileated woodpecker represents the city well. "I think it's a beautiful, popular, audacious bird, pretty common throughout Gatineau and all the forests that are there," he said. Gatineau's woodpecker now joins Montreal's American goldfinch and Val-d'Or's downy woodpecker as official municipal birds.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Meet the official bird of Gatineau, Que.
The pileated woodpecker, described as a tireless woodworker that evokes pride, has been chosen at the emblematic bird of Gatineau, Que. The City of Gatineau announced Tuesday afternoon that residents voted to have the great woodpecker named the official bird of the city in western Quebec. According to the city, the pileated woodpecker is a 'tireless woodworker,' and 'evokes pride through its majestic appearance, natural presence, and resilience.' 'The Pileated Woodpecker plays an important role in maintaining local biodiversity, as the cavities it excavates are essential for several other animal species that rely on them for nesting,' the city said in a media release. 'It resides year-round in our forests and parks. Large trees and stumps provide it with nesting and roosting sites, as well as a source of food.' In May, residents were invited to pick the city's official bird from five bird species. More than 4,100 people voted for the emblematic bird. The other species were the Wood Duck, The Cedar Waxwing, The Belt Kingfisher, and the White-breasted Nuthatch. The city said the five birds under consideration were chosen based on being native to the area, easy to recognize and having an ecological role and value to the city. The selection of an emblematic bird is part of Gatineau's efforts to obtain a 'Bird-Friendly City' certification.
CTV News
07-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Saint-Laurent an official bird friendly city
Montreal Watch Saint-Laurent borough mayor Alan DeSouza speaks about his borough being named an official bird-friendly city by Nature Canada.
