Delaware State Bird

Blue Hen Chicken - Fighting "gamecocks"

(Gallus gallus)

Adopted on April 14, 1939

The Delaware General Assembly adopted as Delaware state bird on April 14, 1939, the Blue Hen chicken, Gallus gallus, had long been used as a motif in numerous political campaigns and in many publications. During the Revolutionary War, the men of Captain Jonathan Caldwell's company, recruited in Kent County, took with them game chickens that were said to be of the brood of a famous Blue Hen and were noted for their fighting ability. When not fighting the enemy, the officers and men amused themselves by pitting their Blue Hen chickens in cockfights. The fame of these cockfights spread throughout the army and when in battle, the Delaware men fought so valiantly that they were compared to these fighting cocks.

Gallus gallus is native to Southern Asia, particularly the jungles of India. Gallus gallus spread all over the world when people domesticated the chicken. This account primarily discusses the wild species (Philips 1999, Stevens 1991, Peterson and Brisbin 1999)

Description of the Delaware State Bird

Gallus gallus ' plumage is gold, red, brown, dark maroon, orange, with a bit of metallic green and gray. There are also some white and olive feathers. Two white patches, shaped like an ear, appear on either side of the head. Gallus gallus can be distinguish from other chickens not only by these white patches, but also by the grayish feet. The red jungle fowl can measure up to 70 centimeters in length. They have a total of fourteen tail feathers. Gallus gallus rooster tails can be almost 28 centimeter in length.

The red junglefowl rooster is said to be more brilliantly colored that its tame relative. During June to October, G. gallus moults into an eclipse plumage. An eclipse plumage is, for male, black long feather across the middle of his back and slender red-orange plumes on the rest of his body. For a female, an eclipse plumage cannot be distiguished, but she does moult. The female red jungle fowl is leaner than tame hens. (North and Bell 1990, Ponnampalam 2000, Stevens 1991, Peterson and Brisbin 1999)

Statute

Delaware Code, Title 29, Chapter 3, Section 304.

TITLE 29 - State Government.
PART 1 - General Provisions.
CHAPTER 3. STATE SEAL, SONG, AND SYMBOLS.

§ 304. State bird.
The "blue hen chicken" is the official bird of the State.

(42 Del. Laws, c. 128; 29 Del. C. 1953, § 504.)

Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Blue Hen Chicken