With a healthy lead after nearly 3,000 votes, the great horned owl is the official bird of Saanich.
Residents were invited to an open online voting battle in a partnership between the district and the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary to celebrate Saanich’s Bird Friendly City designation.
Highly recognizable with piercing yellow eyes, feathered tufts and commanding presence, the great horned owl is a year-round resident of Saanich. It captured the top vote by a fair margin at 33.2 per cent, followed by the Bewick’s wren at 27.3 per cent, the northern flicker at 27.1 per cent and the poor little Cooper’s hawk trailing at 12.4 per cent.
As the municipality’s official bird, it will serve as a symbol of the vital role birds play in healthy ecosystems and help raise awareness about bird conservation throughout the community, according to the nature sanctuary.
“While the great horned owl is not officially a threatened species, human activity – particularly habitat loss and exposure to harmful pesticides – poses a challenge to its continued existence. Residents can help by supporting land conservation efforts, choosing organic or pesticide-free products, and protecting natural spaces that provide nesting and hunting habitat,” the sanctuary said in a news release.
The Bird Friendly City designation is part of a national initiative led by Nature Canada to recognize municipalities that are taking meaningful action to protect birds and their habitats. Saanich rectified at the intermediate level in 2024.
