Canada's national bird: See your top picks

A Canada  goose at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center in Shaker Hts., Ohio. (Amy Sancetta/Associate Press)

While we have a Maple Leaf on the flag, a beaver on the nickel, and lacrosse and ice hockey as national sports, Canada is still without a national bird.

However, the idea for an avian ambassador appears to be taking flight.

In response to an initiative by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy (CRC) calling on Ottawa to name a national bird, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty suggested the red-tailed hawk. On its website, the CRC is asking Canadians to suggest a bird and explain why it's a good pick.

See a gallery of some of the front-runners.

We turned to our CBC community members to weigh in as well and the response was enthusiastic!

Not only did nearly 3,500 Canadians take our poll, with 74 per cent saying Canada needs a national bird, but almost 300 people offered up suggestions of what that bird should be.

Check out some of your feathered favourites.

The Canada goose seems to be the front-runner with commenters, as one community member argues quite poetically.

"I choose the Canada Goose because it already bears our country name. It can be seen all over Canada, North, South, East & West. Canada Geese are sociable, diverse and have great fortitude, for not only do they visit our American neighbours regularly, but they are comfortable in cities, towns, country side and even our very far north. They can be heard and seen travelling in great flocks to herald the onset of Winter and spark the advent of Spring. This fact allows for our young Canadians to be familiar with them from baby small. For us old birds, they are very respectable because they are family orientated and mate for life. I do hope we choose this most magnificent creature to be our National Bird," says awdmother.

Commenter MacTavish makes a great case for the goose as well as another bird that can be found in just about every province.

"There is a great variety of bird life in our great country, but the two that stand out in my mind are --The Canada Goose-- or the great Northern --Loon-- their haunting calls can be found from coast to coast," MacTavish says.

MacTavish is not alone, as the loon had a lot of support.  

"By all means, the Loon is the best bird to represent Canada," says Anne C.

"There is nothing as peaceful and relaxing as the sound of loons on a lake after a day out enjoying nature. Definitely, the LOON," says truenortjh.

Of course there are other candidates as well.

"How about the Raven? It is strong and smart. How about the beautiful sound it makes flying through the air," offers mikosystem.

"My candidate for our National Bird is the great white Swan. A large and powerful bird, defender of its territory and mates for life. A beautiful and powerful symbol of our great white north," states mrpickwickvan.

ElectricLRTMan proposes the following, "I would go with the White Glacous Gull or Kayushk in Ojibway language, they are plentiful here in Manitoba and probably everywhere else, and they are graceful and pure."

Check out all of the suggestions here and make your own! What is your pick for Canada's national bird?