Moose, Moose, Pine and Spruce Trivia Quiz

Answer: Common loon

Also known as the northern diver, the common loon is also the state bird of Minnesota, and appears on both the Minnesota state quarter and the Canadian one dollar coin, or 'loonie'. The loon shown here has the typical black and white breeding plumage; non-breeding adults are more of a brown colour.

They breed in cold areas such as Svalbard, Alaska and some parts of Scotland, but when flying south for winter, they can range as far as Morocco.

Answer: Tennessee

The 'clajeux', as it would be called in French, is native to Canada and North America, and grows near water, in marshes and on river banks. As it is native to Quebec and the madonna lily is not, the iris was chosen as a replacement. It is also known as the harlequin blueflag and the poison flag.

Answer: Ducks

The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, to give it its full name, is a small gundog used to lure ducks and other waterfowl into gunshot range, a practice called 'tolling'. Its orange-red and white coat give it a fox-like appearance. If you're around one, you might need earplugs - like the shiba inu and Italian greyhound, it makes a distinctive high-pitched screaming noise when it is excited.

Answer: Black-capped chickadee

The black-capped chickadee comes from the tit family, and gets its name from its black head and the sound it makes. It has at least thirteen different types of vocalisation, including a two-note whistle and a gargling noise made to warn off other territorial males. It is one of the few birds that can reduce its body temperature in winter, as a means of conserving energy.

Answer: Great grey owl

Also known as the sooty owl and the bearded owl, the great grey owl's most distinctive feature is the grey circles on its face, giving it a very serious look. Although a few of these owls live in warmer climes, they can more commonly be found in woodlands or taiga forests. Instead of building its own nests, it uses nests built by larger birds, such as eagles.

Answer: Pacific salmon

The Pacific salmon comes from the Oncorhynchus ('hook nose') genus, so called because of its hooked jaw, known as a kype. They migrate, die after spawning, and range as far as Beringia, between Canada and Russia, and Mexico. Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan also have provincial fish, as do the Northwest Territories (another salmon, incidentally, called the Arctic grayling).

Answer: Lady's slipper orchid

Anne Shirley has a habit of giving picturesque names to places and things, and 'lady's slipper orchids' certainly sounds like something out of one of L M Montgomery's books! It's named for the shape of its flowers, which have pouches that trap insects.

Incidentally, the other choices are all references to the 'Anne' series - amaryllis, the only other real plant, is a reference to Marilla Cuthbert, who adopts Anne; Dryad's Bubble is a name Anne made up for a place in the forest; and 'Rainbow Valley' is one of the later books in the series.

Answer: White-tailed deer

The white-tailed deer is a state animal of several US states, and appears on the coat of arms of Vermont. It is also the national animal of Costa Rica and Honduras, and a symbol of the Pirkanmaa region in Finland. Texas has a particularly large population of white-tailed deer, estimated to be around four million. Conversion of land for agricultural use has encouraged the white-tailed deer to spread further north in Canada and the US.

Answer: Lodgepole pine

Also known as the twisted pine, the lodgepole pine grows near ocean shores and in mountainous forests. Its wood is often used in construction, and it gets its name from its use in making poles for tipis. Its lightness and length also makes it convenient to transport over long distances.

Answer: Willow ptarmigan

Also know as the red grouse in Britain, the willow ptarmigan lives in forests (especially pine and birch), moorlands and tundra. It is also the state bird of Alaska. Its name comes from a Scottish word, tàrmachan; the P was added because the bird was mistakenly thought to be Greek. It is bigger than the rock ptarmigan and has a thicker bill, and is the most numerous type of ptarmigan.