List of U.S. state birds

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Below is a list of U.S. state birds as designated by each state's, district's or territory's government.

A map of the U.S. showing in red which states and territories have an official state bird.

The selection of state birds began with Kentucky adopting the northern cardinal in 1926. It continued when the legislatures for Alabama, Florida, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Texas and Wyoming selected their state birds after a campaign was started by the General Federation of Women's Clubs to name official state birds in the 1920s.[1][2] The last state to officially adopt its bird was New York in 1970.

Pennsylvania never chose an official state bird, but did choose the ruffed grouse as the state game bird.[3] Alaska, California, and South Dakota permit hunting of their state birds. Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee have designated an additional "state game bird" for the purpose of hunting. The northern cardinal is the state bird of seven states, followed by the western meadowlark as the state bird of six states.

The District of Columbia designated a district bird in 1938.[4] Of the five inhabited territories of the United States, American Samoa and Puerto Rico are the only ones without territorial birds.

State birds

More information State, district, or territory, Bird ...
State,
district,
or territory		BirdScientific namePictureYear
Alabama Yellowhammer (northern flicker)Colaptes auratus1927[5]
Alaska Willow ptarmiganLagopus lagopus1955[6]
American Samoa None, although the bald eagle is displayed on the flag.N/aN/aN/a
Arizona Cactus wrenCampylorhynchus
brunneicapillus		1931[7]
Arkansas Northern mockingbirdMimus polyglottos1929[8]
California California quailCallipepla californica1931[9]
Colorado Lark buntingCalamospiza melanocorys1931[10]
Connecticut American robinTurdus migratorius1943[11]
Delaware Blue Hen ChickenGallus gallus domesticus1939[12]
District of Columbia Wood thrushHylocichla mustelina1938[4]
Florida Northern mockingbirdMimus polyglottos1927[13]
Georgia Brown thrasherToxostoma rufum1928[14]
Guam Guam rail (ko'ko')Gallirallus owstoni2000[15]
Hawaii Nene (Hawaiian goose)Branta sandvicensis1957[16]
Idaho Mountain bluebirdSialia currucoides1931[17]
Illinois Northern cardinalCardinalis cardinalis1929[18]
Indiana Northern cardinalCardinalis cardinalis1933[19]
Iowa Eastern goldfinch (American goldfinch)Spinus tristis tristis1933[20]
Kansas Western meadowlarkSturnella neglecta1933[21]
Kentucky Northern cardinalCardinalis cardinalis1926[22]
Louisiana Eastern brown pelicanPelecanus occidentalis1966[23]
Maine ChickadeePoecile, species not specified
(de facto Poecile atricapillus)[24]		1927[25]
Maryland Baltimore orioleIcterus galbula1947[26]
Massachusetts Black-capped chickadeePoecile atricapillus1941[27]
Michigan American robinTurdus migratorius1931[28]
Minnesota Common loonGavia immer1961[29]
Mississippi Northern mockingbirdMimus polyglottos1944[30]
Missouri Eastern bluebirdSialia sialis1927[31]
Montana Western meadowlarkSturnella neglecta1941[32]
Nebraska Western meadowlarkSturnella neglecta1929[33]
Nevada Mountain bluebirdSialia currucoides1967[34]
New Hampshire Purple finchHaemorhous purpureus1957[35]
New Jersey Eastern goldfinch (American goldfinch) Spinus tristis tristis1935[36]
New Mexico Greater roadrunnerGeococcyx californianus1949[37]
New York Eastern bluebirdSialia sialis1970[38]
North Carolina Northern cardinalCardinalis cardinalis1943[39]
North Dakota Western meadowlarkSturnella neglecta1947[40]
Northern Mariana Islands Mariana fruit-dovePtilinopus roseicapilla?
Ohio Northern cardinalCardinalis cardinalis1933[41]
Oklahoma Scissor-tailed flycatcherTyrannus forficatus1951[42]
Oregon Western meadowlark (state songbird)[a]Sturnella neglecta1927[44]
2017[45]
Pennsylvania Ruffed grouse
(state game bird)[b]		Bonasa umbellus1931
Puerto Rico Puerto Rican spindalis (de facto)Spindalis portoricensis—[47][48]
Rhode Island Rhode Island RedGallus gallus domesticus1954[49]
South Carolina Carolina wrenThryothorus ludovicianus1948[50]
South Dakota Ring-necked pheasantPhasianus colchicus1943[51]
Tennessee Northern mockingbirdMimus polyglottos1933[52]
Texas Northern mockingbirdMimus polyglottos1927[53]
Utah California gullLarus californicus1955[54]
Vermont Hermit thrushCatharus guttatus1941[55]
Virgin Islands BananaquitCoereba flaveola1970
Virginia Northern cardinalCardinalis cardinalis1950[56]
Washington Willow goldfinch (American goldfinch)Spinus tristis salicamans1951[57]
West Virginia Northern cardinalCardinalis cardinalis1949[58]
Wisconsin American robinTurdus migratorius1949[59]
Wyoming Western meadowlarkSturnella neglecta1927[60]
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Notes

  1. [a]
    The western meadowlark was proclaimed the state bird of Oregon by Governor I. L. Patterson in 1927, but the Legislative Assembly never adopted it as official state bird. In 2017, the western meadowlark was made the official state songbird and the osprey was made the official state raptor.[43]
  2. [b]
    The ruffed grouse was named Pennsylvania's "state game bird" per 1931 Act 234.[46]

Other state birds

Map showing in red which U.S. states and territories have designated a state bird in addition to their official state bird

In addition to having a state bird, some states have chosen a state game bird (or state wild game bird), a state waterfowl (or state duck), a state raptor, a state migratory bird, or a bird as their state symbol of peace.

More information State, State bird ...
StateState birdScientific namePhotographyYear
Alabama Wild turkey
(state game bird)		Meleagris gallopavo1980[61]
Delaware Red knot
(state migratory bird)		Calidris canutus2025[62]
Georgia Bobwhite quail
(state game bird)		Colinus virginianus1970[63]
Idaho Peregrine falcon
(state raptor)		Falco peregrinus2004[64]
Massachusetts Wild turkey
(state game bird)		Meleagris gallopavo1991[65]
Michigan Wood duck
(state duck)		 Aix sponsa 2026[66]
Mississippi Wood duck
(state waterfowl)		Aix sponsa1974[67]
Missouri Bobwhite quail
(state game bird)		Colinus virginianus2007[68]
New Hampshire Red-tailed hawk
(state raptor)		Buteo jamaicensis2019[69]
Oklahoma Wild turkey
(state game bird)		Meleagris gallopavo1990[70]
Oregon Osprey
(state raptor)		Pandion haliaetus2017[71]
Pennsylvania Ruffed grouse
(state game bird)		Bonasa umbellus1931[3]
South Carolina Northern mockingbird
(former state bird)		Mimus polyglottos1939 –
1948[50]
Wild turkey
(state wild game bird)		Meleagris gallopavo1976[72]
Wood duck
(state duck)		Aix sponsa2009[73]
Prothonotary warbler
(state migratory bird)		Protonotaria citrea2026[74]
Tennessee Bobwhite quail
(state wild game bird)		Colinus virginianus1987[75]
Wisconsin Eastern mourning dove
(state symbol of peace)		Zenaida macroura carolinensis1971[76]
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States with the same state bird

Some state birds are shared between multiple states. Of the 50 states, a total of 32 do not have a unique state bird.


  Northern cardinal
  Western meadowlark
  Northern mockingbird
  American robin
  American goldfinch
  Chickadee
  Chicken
  Eastern bluebird
  Mountain bluebird
  Unique state bird
More information Bird, # of states ...
Bird # of states
Northern cardinal7
Western meadowlark6
Northern mockingbird5[a]
Wild turkey
(state game bird or wild game bird)		4
American robin3
Bobwhite quail
(state game bird or wild game bird)		3
American goldfinch3[b]
Wood duck
(state waterfowl or duck)		3
Chickadee2[c]
Chicken2[d]
Eastern bluebird2
Mountain bluebird2
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    and formerly South Carolina
  2. [b]
    2 as "eastern goldfinch", 1 as "willow goldfinch"
  3. [c]
    1 as "black-capped chickadee", 1 as "chickadee"
  4. [d]
    1 as "Rhode Island Red", 1 as "Delaware Blue Hen"

References

External links

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