Calgarians can now vote for city's official bird

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Crows are certainly smart, and it's cool how they form massive flocks that commute into and out of the city daily, but the noise they make is pretty grating and the fact that they're all black contributes to the general darkness of Vancouver winters. I would take magpies over crows any day.

Yeah, we had a crow outside our house during last summer that would come back all the time. Started squawking as soon as the sun came up, forcing me to get out of bed at 4AM and shoo it away. Same with the pigeons, except all they do is this low pitch cooing sound which also drives me nuts... especially since I know they're just pooing everywhere.

[Reggie28]

So..will this give the Magpie some type of extra protection in the city?

Asking for a friend.

[BlAcKNoVa]

Nuthatch is at the bottom on my list.

3 years ago I had this one pecking away at the wood siding on my bedroom window for weeks one spring keeping me awake throughout the late morning/afternoon (I work nights). I had so much rage in me sometimes I would've crushed that bird in my hands if I could. Every time I turned the corner to my house with the broom in my hands I'd catch a glimpse of it hanging upside down on the siding. But it always alluded me.

Anyways, don't we have any cooler birds to vote for in the city, like hawks or falcons? What about owls?

[FurnaceFace]

Flicker/Woodpecker for my area. Surest sign of spring is those effers hammering away on my flue cap.

[CaptainYooh]

Got to be the Northern flicker. It's beautiful. It's rare. It's loud. It has two Calgary Flames colours. Such a Calgary bird through and through.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by redforever

I don't think you know your birds. The chickadee is one of the quietest birds.

Descending two-tone call is a chickadee, isn't it? That's what Google tells me.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by SebC

Descending two-tone call is a chickadee, isn't it? That's what Google tells me.

The chickadee has a very quiet sort of zzeee zzeee zzeee sound during most of the year.

At this time of year, actually I heard them start about 2 or 3 weeks ago, the male has a small little two toned whistle, again very quiet, calling for a mate. The first part of the whistle is a higher tone than the second part of the whistle.

This is a very quiet little whistle, nothing at all like you would whistle to call your dog.

At the link below, you can hear the zeee zeee zeee sound of the chickadee as well as the whistle mating call. I think it would be highly unlikely that this is what is keeping you from sleeping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4VJtnctQbg

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by SebC

Descending two-tone call is a chickadee, isn't it? That's what Google tells me.

You're thinking of the Robin calls in the morning.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by SebC

Descending two-tone call is a chickadee, isn't it? That's what Google tells me.

Yep. That's their standard song.

The Merlin app from the Cornel lab is a really useful tool for anyone interested in birds or bird identification. It has a huge compendium of birds in it, including recordings of their various songs and calls. It even has song ID now where you can just let it listen to the bird song around you and it will identify all the birds it hears. It's an excellent app for anyone who has an interest in this sort of thing. I use it often, and it helps sometimes with identifying birds that you never would have realized were around you because they stay so well hidden.

[Amethyst]

I voted for the chickadee because it's the friendliest bird. Magpies are jerks. Who wants to be represented by a jerk?

Also, they are in this area year round. The bluejay territory barely touches Calgary. Doesn't seem like a good choice for official bird.

[octothorp]

What part of the city are Blue Jays most common in? I spend a fair bit of time in city wilderness areas, and I still have yet to see one here.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by octothorp

What part of the city are Blue Jays most common in? I spend a fair bit of time in city wilderness areas, and I still have yet to see one here.

THere's quite a few in the Canyon Meadows/Woodbine area. I wouldn't say common, but I've seen quite a few there over the years.

[prarieboy]

Originally Posted by octothorp

What part of the city are Blue Jays most common in? I spend a fair bit of time in city wilderness areas, and I still have yet to see one here.

I live in the NW in Edgemont. I see them every year through spring and summer. There is a pair of them hanging around right now getting water from our partially frozen pond.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Originally Posted by octothorp

What part of the city are Blue Jays most common in? I spend a fair bit of time in city wilderness areas, and I still have yet to see one here.

I can't speak for the north, but all over the south really. I don't see them daily, but two or three times a week. They like peanuts in the shell if you want to attract them.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by octothorp

What part of the city are Blue Jays most common in? I spend a fair bit of time in city wilderness areas, and I still have yet to see one here.

THere's quite a few in the Canyon Meadows/Woodbine area. I wouldn't say common, but I've seen quite a few there over the years. Keep in mind they're a very shy bird when it comes to people.

You've probably been close to them on many occasions if you're out and about in treed areas.

[JohnnyB]

Blue jays are definitely more of an eastern bird, but there is a branch of the map of their year-round territory that extends out and over to the area around Calgary, and the map of their territory in non-breeding season covers most of southern Alberta.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by octothorp

What part of the city are Blue Jays most common in? I spend a fair bit of time in city wilderness areas, and I still have yet to see one here.

I have seen a few at the bird feeder I keep in the tree in front of my house in Deer Ridge.

[FlamesAddiction]

Blue Jays can also be pretty nasty birds. I think they get more of a pass from people because they look pretty.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by redforever

At this time of year, actually I heard them start about 2 or 3 weeks ago, the male has a small little two toned whistle, again very quiet, calling for a mate. The first part of the whistle is a higher tone than the second part of the whistle.

This is a very quiet little whistle, nothing at all like you would whistle to call your dog.

At the link below, you can hear the zeee zeee zeee sound of the chickadee as well as the whistle mating call. I think it would be highly unlikely that this is what is keeping you from sleeping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4VJtnctQbg

That's not really how hearing works. The apparent loudness of a sound is highly influenced by the level of background noise. At otherwise quiet times, in quiet suburban parts of town, chickadees are plenty loud enough to be disruptive.

When I had pigeons on my balcony the "grrroooo" was also loud enough to bother me, and you don't think of them as a noisy bird.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Magpies.....I just effin hate those things.

I feel like there should be a "purge day" in the city where it's legal to sit in your backyard with a shotgun and go to town.

This would be, and it's not even close, the most anticipated day of my year. Eclipsing even Christmas.

Magpie purge day would be an event starting 48 hours in advance of "the big day" with tailgate parties, strategy sharing sessions, firearm prep and some sort of dance.

It would end at midnight and there would be a mass burning of the corpses as a warning to other magpies.