Custom Search

US State Birds

The selection of state birds began in 1927, when the legislatures for Alabama, Florida, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Texas and Wyoming selected their state birds. The last state to choose its bird was New York in 1970, although the Eastern Bluebird had beaten the American Robin in a statewide survey 42 years previously.

Other State Symbols

US Official State Birds

Official State Bird Designations of the 50 US States

The legislature of each state in the United States has designated one bird species as the an official "State Bird" for that state. In most cases the bird species that was selected is indigenous to that state and is often recognized as being associated with that state. Many a state bird was selected by a state before the species was "officially" named by the American Ornithologists' Union. Some states even have two official birds. The Official State Bird Designations of the 50 US States provides an interesting historical perspective as to events taking place during that period of a State's history. Birds are among the most popular state symbols in the United States.

Seven states have adopted the Cardinal as their state bird: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia

US Official State Bird Designations

State	Bird	As	With
Alabama	Yellow-hammer	Bird
Alabama	Wild Turkey	Game Bird	Massachusetts Oklahoma South Carolina
Alaska	Alaska Willow Ptarmigan	Bird
Arizona	Coues' Cactus Wren	Bird
Arkansas	Mockingbird	Bird	Florida Mississippi Tennessee Texas
California	California Valley Quail	Bird
Colorado	Lark Bunting	Bird
Connecticut	American Robin	Bird	Connecticut Michigan Wisconsin
Delaware	Blue Hen Chicken	Bird
Florida	Mockingbird	Bird	Arkansas Mississippi Tennessee Texas
Georgia	Brown Thrasher	Bird
Georgia	Bobwhite Quail	Game Bird	Tennessee
Hawaii	Nene (Hawaiian Goose)	Bird
Idaho	Mountain Bluebird	Bird
Idaho	Peregrine Falcon	Raptor
Illinois	Cardinal	Bird	Indiana Kentucky North Carolina Ohio Virginia West Virginia
Indiana	Cardinal	Bird	Illinois Kentucky North Carolina Ohio Virginia West Virginia
Iowa	Eastern Goldfinch	Bird	New Jersey
Kansas	Western Meadowlark	Bird	Montana Nebraska North Dakota Oregon Wyoming
Kentucky	Cardinal	Bird	Illinois Indiana North Carolina Ohio Virginia West Virginia
Louisiana	Brown Pelican	Bird
Maine	Chickadee	Bird	Massachusetts
Maryland	Baltimore Oriole	Bird
Massachusetts	Chickadee	Bird	Maine
Massachusetts	Wild Turkey	Game Bird	Alabama Oklahoma South Carolina
Michigan	American Robin	Bird	Connecticut Wisconsin
Minnesota	Common Loon	Bird
Mississippi	Mockingbird	Bird	Arkansas Florida Tennessee Texas
Mississippi	Wood Duck	Waterfowl
Missouri	Bluebird	Bird
Montana	Western Meadowlark	Bird	Kansas Nebraska North Dakota Oregon Wyoming
Nebraska	Western Meadowlark	Bird	Kansas Montana North Dakota Oregon Wyoming
Nevada	Mountain Bluebird	Bird
New Hampshire	Purple Finch	Bird
New Jersey	Eastern Goldfinch	Bird	Iowa
New Mexico	Chaparral Bird (Roadrunner)	Bird
New York	Bluebird	Bird
North Carolina	Cardinal	Bird	Illinois Indiana Kentucky Ohio Virginia West Virginia
North Dakota	Western Meadowlark	Bird	Kansas Montana Nebraska Oregon Wyoming
Ohio	Cardinal	Bird	Illinois Indiana Kentucky North Carolina Virginia West Virginia
Oklahoma	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	Bird
Oklahoma	Wild Turkey	Game Bird	Alabama Massachusetts South Carolina
Oregon	Western Meadowlark	Bird	Kansas Montana Nebraska North Dakota Wyoming
Pennsylvania	Ruffed Grouse	Game Bird
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Red	Bird
South Carolina	Carolina Wren	Bird
South Carolina	Wild Turkey	Game Bird	Alabama Massachusetts Oklahoma
South Dakota	Ring-necked Pheasant	Bird
Tennessee	Mockingbird	Bird	Arkansas Florida Mississippi Texas
Tennessee	Bobwhite Quail	Game Bird	Georgia
Texas	Mockingbird	Bird	Arkansas Florida Mississippi Tennessee
Utah	California Gull	Bird
Vermont	Hermit Thrush	Bird
Virginia	Cardinal	Bird	Illinois Indiana Kentucky North Carolina Ohio West Virginia
Washington	Willow Goldfinch	Bird
Washington, DC	Wood Thrush	Bird
West Virginia	Cardinal	Bird	Illinois Indiana Kentucky North Carolina Ohio Virginia
Wisconsin	American Robin	Bird	Connecticut Michigan
Wyoming	Western Meadowlark	Bird	Kansas Montana Nebraska North Dakota Oregon
US	Bald Eagle	Bird

Official State Birds

US map : Birds & Flowers

Bird:

a. Any of the class Aves of warm-blooded, egg-laying, feathered vertebrates with forelimbs modified to form wings.
b. Such an animal hunted as game.
c. Such an animal, especially a chicken or turkey, used as food

State Bird:

a. Bird selected (as by the legislature) as an emblem of a state of the United States.

NOTE: Many states have more than one official bird, or have designate state birds more specifically.

Custom Search