List of U.S. state birds explained

This is a list of U.S. state birds as designated by each state's legislature. 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. People in states such as Florida^[1] , Minnesota^[2] , Maine^[3] , and Alaska^[4] sometimes jokingly declare the mosquito to be the unofficial state bird.

State	State bird	Binomial nomenclature	Image	Year
rowspan=2	Alabama	Yellowhammer aka Northern Flicker (state bird)	Colaptes auratus		1927[5]
Wild Turkey (state game bird)	Meleagris gallopavo		1980[6]
Alaska	Willow Ptarmigan	Lagopus lagopus		1955[7]
Arizona	Cactus Wren	Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus		1973[8]
Arkansas	Mockingbird aka Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos		1929[9]
California	California Quail	Callipepla californica		1931[10]
Colorado	Lark Bunting	Calamospiza melanocorys		1931[11]
Connecticut	American Robin	Turdus migratorius		1943[12]
Delaware	Blue Hen of Delaware	Gallus gallus		1939[13]
District of Columbia	Wood Thrush	Hylocichla mustelina		1938[14]
Florida	Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos		1927[15]
rowspan=2	Georgia	Brown Thrasher (state bird)	Toxostoma rufum		1928[16]
Bobwhite Quail (state game bird)	Colinus virginianus		1970[17]
Hawaii	Nēnē or Hawaiian Goose	Branta sandvicensis		1957[18]
Idaho	Mountain Bluebird	Sialia currucoides		1931[19]
Illinois	Cardinal aka Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis		1928[20]
Indiana	Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis		1933[21]
Iowa	Eastern Goldfinch aka American Goldfinch	Carduelis tristis		1933[22]
Kansas	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta		1933[23]
Kentucky	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis		1942[24]
Louisiana	Eastern Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis		1966[25]
Maine	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapilla		1927[26]
Maryland	Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula		1947[27]
rowspan=2	Massachusetts	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapilla		1941[28]
Wild Turkey (state game bird)	Meleagris gallopavo		1991[29]
Michigan	American Robin	Turdus migratorius		1931[30]
Minnesota	Common Loon	Gavia immer		1961[31]
rowspan=2	Mississippi	Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos		1944[32]
Wood duck (state waterfowl)	Aix sponsa		1974[33]
Missouri	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis		1927[34]
Montana	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta		1941[35]
Nebraska	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta		1929[36]
Nevada	Mountain Bluebird	Sialia currucoides		1967[37]
New Hampshire	Purple Finch	Carpodacus purpureus		1957[38]
New Jersey	Eastern Goldfinch	Carduelis tristis		1935[39]
New Mexico	Roadrunner aka Greater Roadrunner	Geococcyx californianus		1949[40]
New York	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis		1970[41]
North Carolina	Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis		1943[42]
North Dakota	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta		1970[43]
Ohio	Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis		1933[44]
Oklahoma	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	Tyrannus forficatus		1951[45]
Oregon	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta		1927[46]
Pennsylvania	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus		1931[47]
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Red Chicken	Gallus gallus		1954[48]
rowspan=3	South Carolina	Mockingbird (former state bird)	Mimus polyglottos		1939 - 1948[49]
Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus		1948[50]
Wild Turkey (state wild game bird)	Meleagris gallopavo		1976[51]
South Dakota	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus		1943[52]
rowspan=2	Tennessee	Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos		1933[53]
Bobwhite Quail (state wild game bird)	Colinus virginianus		1987[54]
Texas	Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos		1927[55]
Utah	California Gull	Larus californicus		1955[56]
Vermont	Hermit Thrush	Catharus guttatus		1941[57]
Virginia	Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis		1950[58]
Washington	Willow Goldfinch aka American Goldfinch	Carduelis tristis		1951[59]
West Virginia	Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis		1949[60]
Wisconsin	American Robin	Turdus migratorius		1949[61]
Wyoming	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta		1927[62]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Debate:Is the Florida State Bird a mosquito or the flying cockroach?. June, 2006. 2007-07-08.
2. Web site: Gill. N.S.. Mosquito. about.com. 2007-07-08.
3. Web site: Survival Tips - State of Maine Guide. 2008-04-07.
4. Web site: Mosquito:State Bird of Alaska. October 26, 2006. 2007-07-08.
5. Web site: Alabama State Bird. 2007-03-18. 2006-04-27. Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History.
6. Web site: Official Alabama Game Bird. 2007-03-18. 2003-11-17. Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History.
7. Web site: Alaska State Bird. Alaska History, Geography, Population and State Facts. Fact Monster.
8. Web site: Arizona State Bird. Arizona State Bird- Cactus Wren. 50 States.
9. Web site: Arkansas State Bird. Arkansas State Bird- Mockingbird. About.
10. Web site: California State Bird. California State Bird- California Quail. 50 States.
11. Web site: Colorado State Bird. Colorado State Bird- Lark Bunting. About.
12. Web site: Connecticut State Bird. The State Bird. State of Connecticut.
13. Web site: Delaware State Bird. California State Bird- Blue Hen Chicken. 50 States.
14. Web site: District of Columbia State Bird. Washington DC State Symbols. 50 States.
15. Web site: Florida State Bird. Florida State Bird: Mockingbird. SHG Resources.
16. Web site: Georgia State Bird. Georgia State Bird Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum. Netstate.
17. Web site: Georgia Secretary of State - State Game Bird. Georgia Secretary of State. State of Georgia.
18. Web site: Hawaii State Bird. The Nene Goose- Branta Sandvicensis-Hawaii's State Bird. Aloha-Hawaii.
19. Web site: Idaho State Bird. Georgia State Bird Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides. Netstate.
20. Web site: Illinois State Bird. State Symbols. Learn Illinois.
21. Web site: Indiana State Bird. Indiana State Emblems- cardinal. Indiana Historical Bureau.
22. Web site: Iowa State Bird. Iowa State Bird Eastern Goldfinch Carduelis tristis. Netstate.
23. Web site: Kansas State Bird. Kansas State Bird Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta. Netstate.
24. Web site: Kentucky State Bird. Kentucky's State Bird: The Cardinal. Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
25. Web site: Louisiana State Bird. Louisiana State Bird: Brown Pelican. SHG Resources.
26. Web site: Maine State Bird. Maine State Bird, the Chickadee. Wells Maine.
27. Web site: Maryland State Bird. Louisiana State Bird Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula. Netstate.
28. Web site: Massachusetts State Bird. Massachusetts State Bird: Chickadee. SHG Resources.
29. http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1a.htm CIS: State Symbols
30. Web site: Michigan State Bird. Michigan State Bird American Robin Turdus migratorius. Netstate.
31. Web site: Minnesota State Bird. Minnesota State Bird Common Loon Gavia immer. Netstate.
32. Web site: Mississippi State Bird. Mississippi State Bird: Mockingbird. SHG Resources.
33. Web site: Mississippi State Symbols, Emblems, and Mascots. SHG Resources.
34. Web site: Missouri State Bird. Missouri State Bird: Bluebird. SHG Resources.
35. Web site: Montana State Bird. Michigan State Bird Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta. Netstate.
36. Web site: Nebraska State Bird. Nebraska State Bird: Bluebird. SHG Resources.
37. Web site: Nevada State Bird. Nevada State Bird, mountain bluebird. Val-U-Corp Services, Inc..
38. Web site: New Hampshire State Bird. New Hampshire State Bird: Purple Finch. SHG Resources.
39. Web site: New Jersey State Bird. NJ Senate No. 241. NJ Home.
40. Web site: New Mexico State Bird. New Mexico State Bird: Purple Finch. SHG Resources.
41. Web site: New York State Bird. New York State Bird Bluebird Sialia sialis. Netstate.
42. Web site: North Carolina State Bird. Cardinal- North Carolina State Bird. NC Department of State.
43. Web site: North Dakota State Bird. North Dakota State Bird Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta. Netstate.
44. Web site: Ohio State Bird. Ohio's State Bird- The Cardinal. Ohio History Central.
45. Web site: Oklahoma State Bird. Oklahoma State bird. Birds of Oklahoma.
46. Web site: Oregon State Bird. Oregon State Bird Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta. Netstate.
47. Web site: Pennsylvania State Bird. Pennsylvania State Bird: Ruffed Grouse. SHG Resources.
48. Web site: Rhode Island State Bird. Rhode Island State Bird: Rhode Island Red. SHG Resources.
49. Web site: SC Statehouse Student's web page, State Symbols and Emblems, State Bird. South Carolina General Assembly]]. 2007-07-19.
50. repeat
51. Web site: SC Statehouse Student's web page, State Symbols and Emblems, State Wild Game Bird. South Carolina General Assembly]]. 2007-07-19.
52. Web site: South Dakota State Bird. South Dakota State Bird Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus. Netstate.
53. Web site: Tennessee State Bird. Tennessee State Bird: Mockingbird. SHG Resources.
54. Web site: Tennessee State Symbols. Tennessee State General Assembly.
55. Web site: Texas State Bird. The Texas State Bird: Mockingbird. Lone Star Junction.
56. Web site: Utah State Bird. Utah State Bird California Gull Larus californicus. Netstate.
57. Web site: Vermont State Bird. Vermont State Bird- Hermit Thrush. About.
58. Web site: Virginia State Bird. NetState. 2005-04-17. 2007-04-06.
59. Web site: Symbols of Washington State. Washington State Legislature. 2007-03-11.
60. Web site: West Virginia State Bird. Netstate.
61. Web site: Wisconsin State Bird. Wisconsin State Bird: Robin. SHG Resources.
62. Web site: Wyoming State Bird. Wyoming State Bird: Robin. State of Wyoming.