44 Community Events Devon residents had to choose between eight finalists to elect the town's official bird. The election ran from October 15 to November 15, 2024, and collected more than 2150 votes, representing 32% of Devon's total population. The Devon Bird Team has announced which bird will officially represent the town — the Black-capped Chickadee. The small bird came in first out of eight birds, capturing 474 votes, with the Blue Jay a close second with 409 votes, and the Pileated Woodpecker third with 354 votes. The Great Horned Owl was fourth with 252 votes, while the Northern Flicker was fifth with 209 votes. The Common Raven was sixth with 208 votes; the Black-billed Magpie was seventh with 136 votes and the Canada Goose had 114 votes. Devon schoolstudents between Kindergarten and Grade 9 were able to participate and vote at Holy Spirit Catholic School, Robina Baker Elementary School, Riverview Middle School, and cast a total of 617 votes. The Devon Bird Team would like to thank everyone who participated in the election, and the following local businesses, who hosted voting stations for the duration of the election: IGA Devon, Hardy’s Your Independent Grocer, Devon Home Hardware, The Coffee Shop in Devon, Walking Trails Marketplace, Pioneer 73, Discovery Place, Devon Public Library, Devon Town Office, and the Devon Thrift Shop. The Black-capped Chickadee is considered “cute” thanks to its oversized round head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. However, it is a tough little bird, able to survive our harsh Alberta winters, and it lives in Devon year round. As the official town bird of Devon, the Black-capped Chickadee will symbolize the importance of birds in our ecosystem, help build awareness of birds in our town, and encourage bird conservation. In November 2023, Devon became the first town in Alberta to be certified by Nature Canada as a "Bird Friendly Town". The Black-capped Chickadee will be recognized as Devon's official bird at an upcoming Town Council meeting. More information on the program can be found at devon.ca/bird-city. Share Print