RICHMOND HILL – The votes are in and our community has chosen the Great Blue Heron to be Richmond Hill’s ‘Bird Friendly City’ bird!
A total of 1,518 votes were cast with the Heron securing 456 or 30% of the vote. Here’s how the six-bird race played out:
- Great Blue Heron – 456 votes
- American Goldfinch – 347 votes
- Red-winged Blackbird – 309 votes
- Cedar Waxwing – 229 votes
- Bald Eagle – 139 votes
- Sandhill Crane – 38 votes
Birds play an essential role in maintaining healthy and resilient ecosystems in our communities, and the Great Blue Heron is a symbol of the natural heritage features that are found throughout Richmond Hill.
Standing almost one metre tall and with a wingspan of up to two metres, the Great Blue Heron is the largest Heron in North America. It has greyish-blue feathers on its body, a white head with a black stripe on each side, a yellow-orange dagger-sharp beak, and a long neck and legs.
Herons can be seen standing perfectly still or slowly wading into wetlands and ponds ready to snatch up a fish at places like Newberry Park, Richmond Green and Rumble Pond to name just a few. They breed locally in large congregations called ‘rookeries’, but fly south when the cold weather hits and water starts to freeze.
This campaign was part of Richmond Hill’s ‘Bird Friendly City’ certification in support of ongoing efforts to raise awareness about threats to birds and habitat conservation.
For more information, visit RichmondHill.ca/Birds.
Quotes
“This was a really fun, educational exercise and I’m really happy with the flutter of conversation it generated. The Great Blue Heron is a beautiful bird, both on land and in flight, and it’s always so exciting to spot one. Fantastic choice by our community!” – Mayor David West
Fun Facts About the Great Blue Heron*
- Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons weigh only five to six pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones—a feature all birds share.
- With their massive wingspan, Great Blue Herons can fly up to 55 kilometres per hour.
- Great Blue Herons can hunt day and night thanks to a high percentage of rod-type photoreceptors in their eyes that improve their night vision.
- Specialized feathers on their chest grow continuously and fray into a powder, which helps protect their feathers from fish slime and other oils.
*Source: allaboutbirds.org
