Election Year Birds

Whitehall resident Ron Roginske has refreshed his original October 22, 2008 article in the Whitehall Ledger to reflect the 2024 candidates.

Have you ever thought how birds are very much like politicians and political parties? This realization came to me as I walked out on my deck one sunny morning and heard the loud overpowering squawking bird noises coming from a huge flock of blackbirds gathered in my yard trees. I thought, this noise sounds just like an election year!

While it may be a stretch to match the way we perceive birds with Democrat, Green, Libertarian, and Republican Party platform rhetoric, it is far easier and much more fun to assign bird traits to individual politicians.

Many of the traits we see in politicians can also be found in the way we view birds. Here is a list of some characteristics that I matched to Montana birds. So pick out any politicians running for office and see if you can match any of them to these bird characteristics. I did the birds, you do the politicians. Hope it gives you a chuckle.

Loud, boisterous, showoffs, with a superior attitude: Crows, ravens, and magpies (all members of the jay family). Their antics make us laugh at times. These birds like to be seen and heard. They like to puff out their chests and strut around like they own the neighborhood (which they do until a hawk comes around).

Noble, strong, stately: These have to be the eagles. These large, powerful birds with keen eyesight are the national symbols of many world countries (including ours). Eagles are considered sacred birds by Native Americans and many other cultures. A commonly heard expression is to soar like an eagle. This is mostly true unless you've seen, like I have, a golden eagle gorge itself on a dead deer until it was so full and heavy, it was unable to fly. Oh well, we all have our weaknesses!

Fighter: The feisty little hummingbird fits this category. These colorful bits of flying fluff have a fighter mentality and are ready to drive off any intruders, especially other hummingbirds. Maybe it has something to do with their size (small bird syndrome).

Wise: Any of the owls. Owls in Western culture have been the symbol of wisdom, intelligence, and education in stories and literature since the time of ancient Greece. Most owls hunt at night and eat mice. Sometimes they fly too low chasing their prey across a highway and get hit. How smart is that?

Lazy: Brown-headed cowbirds fit this bill. They lay their eggs in other bird's nests and let them raise their young while they go off and have fun. Know anybody like that?

Family Values: Sandhill cranes come to mind. Cranes are the symbol of longevity and family fidelity in many cultures throughout the world. Both crane parents share duties to help raise their young. Mated pairs stick together year round and migrate as a group with other cranes and their young. Cranes usually mate for life, but recent studies show that some swap mates as they go through life. Temptation is always there, even among birds!

All-around nice guys: Meadowlarks, robins, bluebirds, and chickadees. These are the folks you like to be around. Their colorful plumage and happy songs brings a smile to your face and warms your heart when you see or hear them. These peaceful birds mind their own business and are not a threat to other birds. We need more of these.

So how did you do? Got those politicians assigned to bird traits? If you disagree with my choice of bird characteristics, just plug your favorite birds into the list, or make up your own list of bird traits. Hope you learned something about birds (and maybe politicians) in a humorous way.

Remember, Election Day is coming soon, so do your patriotic duty and vote by either absentee mail-in ballot or in person on November 5 – for the birds (whoops, that should read candidates) of your choice.