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The News Guard

Lincoln City now has a city bird to call its own.

Recently, the Audubon Society of Lincoln City, which was formed last year, had more than 750 elementary school children vote for their favorite bird. The final choice was the Belted Kingfisher.

It can be found near the open waters of Devils Lake, Siletz Bay, the Salmon River and local marshes and estuaries. The Belted Kingfisher is approximately 12 inches in length and is a large, short-legged, big-headed, big-billed bird. It hovers over the water and dives headfirst in pursuit of fish. There are about 90 species of kingfisher found throughout the world.

“Just about everyone has a chance to see it at one time or another,” said Kathleen Nickerson, president of the Audubon Society of Lincoln City. “We thought it would be a great way to get kids interested in the Audubon Society and be aware of important environmental issues. We thought it would be a great way to get them engaged in the process.”

At the June 12 Lincoln City Council meeting, a proclamation declared the Belted Kingfisher as the official bird of Lincoln City.

“I think it will be nice to tie Lincoln City to the Audubon Society,” said Mayor Lori Hollingsworth. “We’re surrounded by nature here. It is one of the benefits a lot of cities don’t have.”

Other finalist for the city bird included the Red-tailed Hawk, the Osprey and the Dark-eyed Junco.

Alexandra Chitty, an artist-in-residence at the Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology, is working on a logo for the Audubon Society in Lincoln City incorporating the Belted Kingfisher.

Students who voted for the city bird came from Oceanlake and Taft elementary schools and Faith Baptist kindergarten.

The Audubon Society plans to promote the importance of the Belted Kingfisher and its habitat through chapter newsletters, field trips, habitat restoration projects and educational programs.

This past school year, Deb Gaffney’s fifth-grade class at Oceanlake Elementary studied birds, went on field trips to their habitats and learned how to spot them.

Gaffney said she was pleased the students were able to vote for a city bird. Being able to learn more about birds helped her students make good judgments about choosing a bird and understanding the importance of birds to the natural habitat, she said.

Fifth-grader Amanda Evans, 12, said the experience has made her enjoy bird watching.

“I like to watch birds and how they react,” she said, adding she is glad the Audubon Society had students pick a city bird. “I think it’s a good idea that they are making people aware of birds and how fabulous they are.”

Tyler Lopez, 11, said he voted for the Belted Kingfisher.

“It has a cool mohawk and it likes to fish and I like to fish,” he said.

Lopez said he thinks it’s important to teach students and the community about respecting birds and protecting their habitats.

“If we learn about birds, we won’t trash the environment,” he said.