Unsorted Wild Birds

Official US State Birds

Official US State Birds By State

From state nicknames and state songs to state flowers and mammals, the United States is full of symbols for its 50 states. Each is representative of the state’s heritage and natural treasures.

Starting in 1927, state birds began to be selected by states. The first states to adopt a state bird were Alabama, Florida, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Texas and Wyoming. The last state to pick its bird was Arizona in 1973.Official US State Birds Mountain Bluebird

Pennsylvania never chose an official state bird, but did choose the ruffed grouse as the state game bird. 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.

So, grab your bird-watching binoculars and get to know the 50 official state birds in the U.S., from Alabama to Wyoming (and Washington, D.C., too)

Here is the name and a picture of every state’s official bird:

Birds most commonly named U.S. State birds

 

Listed by State

  • California: California Quail aka California Valley Quail or Valley Quail (Callipepla californica)
  • Colorado: Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys)
  • Connecticut: American Robin or Migratory Thrush (Turdus migratorius)
  • Delaware: Blue Hen Chicken
  • Florida: Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) – Ongoing campaign to have the Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) replace the mockingbird as the State Bird since this bird species is found only in Florida; and is classified as threatened (of extinction) due to fragmentation and loss of its natural habitat.
American Robin, Turdus migratorius
  • Georgia: Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
  • Hawaii: Nene aka Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis)
 
 

Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

2 Comments

  1. Cactus Wren is the state bird of two states, not just 1. Both Arizona [where I am] and South Carolina [where I ain’t] claim that, uh, honor. At least we didn’t jump on the Cardinal bandwagon.

    Good info, keep it up!

    Cheers!

    1. Thank you for the feedback Jim, do you have any source information? We cannot seem to find where that comes from?

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