Thanks to a protracted historical past within the metropolis, it beat out the northern cardinal and black-capped chickadee for high billing
Burlington goes to the birds – in a great way.
Council unanimously agreed to the number of the trumpeter swan as the town’s official chicken at its Dec. 12 assembly.
The “Official Bird” choice course of was performed by Bird Friendly Hamilton Burlington, via a public ballot in early 2022 with the trumpeter swan, northern cardinal and black-capped chickadee coming in first, second and third place, respectively.
Burlington was licensed by Nature Canada as a Bird Friendly City in April 2022, and a part of its requirement consists of the number of an official metropolis chicken. Through public engagement and unanimously agreed upon by council this morning, the trumpeter swan is the town’s chicken.
There was a time within the Nineteen Thirties in Canada when the variety of recognized trumpeter swans dwindled to 70. They’d completely disappeared from Burlington and the remainder of the province – surprising to suppose, since it’s indigenous to North America. Hunting for swan meat, skins and feathers decreased its inhabitants, and it’s now unlawful.
The trumpeter swan is the biggest swan species on the planet.
The Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program, which was established within the early Eighties, led to Pig Pen, the primary trumpeter swan to nest in Ontario in 200 years, re-establishing the migration route of them in Burlington in 1993.
LaSalle Park is now home to greater than 100 trumpeter swans from December to March and has a devoted group of volunteers from Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario that work tirelessly towards the continued conservation and restoration of the species.
Ward 5 councillor Paul Sharman initiated the movement and mentioned he and the mayor have had limitless conversations throughout their time on council concerning the trumpeter swans. “We’re very proud and on the similar time anxious all the time about their well being and well-being and the care and loving that has been poured on them by neighborhood members, particularly Bev Kingdon and all her colleagues.
“We have these trumpeter swans coming and visiting with us, taking this up as home and they might not have, without their love and attention,” he added.
Although he’s a fan of the swan, Ward 1 councillor Kelvin Galbraith joked that the wild turkey will all the time have a particular place within the hearts of Aldershot residents.
“I can’t think of a better bird to be Burlington’s bird,” he mentioned. “There’s over 100 of them down at LaSalle Park. They draw the attention of many visitors. I admit the wild turkey is a close second in my books,” he mentioned, sharing that Aldershot had a wild turkey for a short time in the course of the pandemic that gained the love and a spotlight of the area people.
Nevertheless, swans are tops with him, too. “I do have a nice swan picture in my office,” Galbraith shared. “The swan takes the cake in this one.”
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward additionally thinks the swan is a terrific option to be Burlington’s chicken.
“The history of the trumpeter swan is really quite something spectacular. They did not exist. Our local citizen scientists, of whom Bev Kingdon is one of them, brought them back,” she mentioned. “They decided to adopt LaSalle Marina as their home, their wintering grounds. It’s really great to see this come forward.”
