The City of Peterborough is inviting residents to help select Peterborough’s first official “City Bird” by completing an online survey to select a species of bird that best represents the community.
The contest is being officiated by Bird Friendly Peterborough (BFP), with a goal of raising awareness about Peterborough earning Bird Friendly City status. The contest is open to all residents to select their favourite local bird species from a list that has been curated by BFP of 16 local birds.
The contest will run until September 5 to nominate the top five local birds.
The selection of Peterborough’s first official “City Bird” will be announced at the inaugural City of Peterborough Environmental and Climate Action Expo at Ecology Park on September 23
“Selecting an official city bird for Peterborough is a great way to get residents excited about the launch of BFP,” stated Councillor Kim Zippel, Chair of the Environment and Climate Change portfolio. “A city bird would also help increase the awareness of how important birds are to our ecosystems.”
On June 27, City Council approved the application from BFP, electing Peterborough as being bird-friendly through the Bird Friendly City Program. Nature Canada oversees the Bird Friendly City program, which requires communities to meet multiple criteria before achieving bird-friendly city status.
The BFP team, composed of representatives from local nature-focused organizations, identified Peterborough as meeting the entry-level requirements of the Bird Friendly City program through existing City policies and community programs.