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List of U.S. state birds facts for kids

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

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. The last state to choose its bird was Arizona in 1973.

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. Of the five inhabited territories of the United States, American Samoa and Puerto Rico are the only ones without territorial birds.

State birds

State,
district,
or territory
Bird Scientific name Picture Year
Alabama Yellowhammer (northern flicker) Colaptes auratus Northern Flicker.jpg 1927
Alaska Willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus Denali National Park Ptarmigan.jpg 1955
American Samoa None
(See List of birds of American Samoa)
Arizona Cactus wren Campylorhynchus
brunneicapillus
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus 20061226.jpg 1973
Arkansas Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Mimus polyglottos adult 02 cropped.jpg 1929
California California quail Callipepla californica California quail.jpg 1931
Colorado Lark bunting Calamospiza melanocorys Lark Bunting (male) Pawnee National Grasslands CO 2018-06-06 17-03-26 (40841912423).jpg 1931
Connecticut American robin Turdus migratorius Turdus-migratorius-002.jpg 1943
Delaware Delaware Blue Hen Gallus gallus 1939
District of Columbia Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina Hylocichla mustelina (cropped).jpg 1938
Florida Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Mimus polyglottos adult 02 cropped.jpg 1927
Georgia Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum Brown Thrasher-27527-2.jpg 1928
Guam Guam rail (ko'ko') Gallirallus owstoni GuamRail02.jpg 2000
Hawaii Hawaiian goose (nēnē) Branta sandvicensis Branta sandvicensis -WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England-8a.jpg 1957
Idaho Mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides Mountain Bluebird.jpg 1931
Illinois Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cardinal.jpg 1929
Indiana Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cardinal.jpg 1933
Iowa Eastern goldfinch (American goldfinch) Spinus tristis Carduelis-tristis-002.jpg 1933
Kansas Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta WesternMeadowlark23.jpg 1933
Kentucky Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cardinal.jpg 1926
Louisiana Brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Brown pelican - natures pics.jpg 1966
Maine Chickadee Species not specified
(de facto Poecile atricapillus)
Poecile-atricapilla-001.jpg 1927
Maryland Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula Icterus-galbula-002.jpg 1947
Massachusetts Black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapilla Poecile-atricapilla-001.jpg 1941
Michigan American robin Turdus migratorius Turdus-migratorius-002.jpg 1931
Minnesota Common loon Gavia immer Common Loon head sideways.jpg 1961
Mississippi Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Mimus polyglottos adult 02 cropped.jpg 1944
Missouri Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis EasternbluebirdB9.jpg 1927
Montana Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta WesternMeadowlark23.jpg 1941
Nebraska Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta WesternMeadowlark23.jpg 1929
Nevada Mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides Mountain Bluebird.jpg 1967
New Hampshire Purple finch Carpodacus purpureus Purple Finch.jpg 1957
New Jersey Eastern goldfinch (American goldfinch) Spinus tristis Carduelis-tristis-002.jpg 1935
New Mexico Greater roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Geococcyx californianus.jpg 1949
New York Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis EasternbluebirdB9.jpg 1970
North Carolina Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cardinal.jpg 1943
North Dakota Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta WesternMeadowlark23.jpg 1970
Northern Mariana Islands Mariana fruit-dove Ptilinopus roseicapilla Stavenn Ptilinopus roseicapilla 01.jpg  ?
Ohio Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cardinal.jpg 1933
Oklahoma Scissor-tailed flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Scissortailedfly700.JPG 1951
Oregon Western meadowlark
(state songbird)
Sturnella neglecta WesternMeadowlark23.jpg 1927
2017
Pennsylvania Ruffed grouse
Puerto Rico None
Rhode Island Rhode Island Red Gallus gallus Rhode Island Red.jpg 1954
South Carolina Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Carolina Wren 2.jpg 1948
South Dakota Ring-necked pheasant Phasianus colchicus Phasianus colchicus 2 tom (Lukasz Lukasik).jpg 1943
Tennessee Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Mimus polyglottos adult 02 cropped.jpg 1933
Texas Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Mimus polyglottos adult 02 cropped.jpg 1927
Utah California gull Larus californicus CaliforniaGull23.jpg 1955
Vermont Hermit thrush Catharus guttatus Hermitthrush63.jpg 1941
Virgin Islands Bananaquit Coereba flaveola Bananaquits.jpg 1970
Virginia Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cardinal.jpg 1950
Washington Willow goldfinch (American goldfinch) Spinus tristis Carduelis-tristis-002.jpg 1951
West Virginia Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cardinal.jpg 1949
Wisconsin American robin Turdus migratorius Turdus-migratorius-002.jpg 1949
Wyoming Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta WesternMeadowlark23.jpg 1927

Other state birds

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, or a bird as their state symbol of peace.

State State bird Scientific name Photography Year
Alabama Wild turkey
(state game bird)
Meleagris gallopavo Gall-dindi.jpg 1980
Georgia Bobwhite quail
(state game bird)
Colinus virginianus Virginiawachtel 2007-06-16 065.jpg 1970
Idaho Peregrine falcon
(state raptor)
Falco peregrinus Falco peregrinus good - Christopher Watson.jpg 2004
Massachusetts Wild turkey
(state game bird)
Meleagris gallopavo Gall-dindi.jpg 1991
Mississippi Wood duck
(state waterfowl)
Aix sponsa Brautente Wood Duck Aix sponsa.jpg 1974
Missouri Bobwhite quail
(state game bird)
Colinus virginianus Virginiawachtel 2007-06-16 065.jpg 2007
New Hampshire Red-tailed hawk
(state raptor)
Buteo jamaicensis Red-tailed Hawk.jpg 2019
Oklahoma Wild turkey
(state game bird)
Meleagris gallopavo Gall-dindi.jpg 1990
Oregon Osprey
(state raptor)
Pandion haliaetus 20100709d.jpg 2017
Pennsylvania Ruffed grouse
(state game bird)
Bonasa umbellus Bonasa-umbellus-001edit1.jpg 1931
South Carolina Northern mockingbird
(former state bird)
Mimus polyglottos Mimus polyglottos adult 02 cropped.jpg 1939 –
1948
Wild turkey
(state wild game bird)
Meleagris gallopavo Gall-dindi.jpg 1976
Wood duck
(state duck)
Aix sponsa Brautente Wood Duck Aix sponsa.jpg 2009
Tennessee Bobwhite quail
(state wild game bird)
Colinus virginianus Virginiawachtel 2007-06-16 065.jpg 1987
Wisconsin Eastern mourning dove
(state symbol of peace)
Zenaida macroura carolinensis Mourning Dove 2006.jpg 1971

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.

U.S. state birds map

      Northern cardinal
      Western meadowlark
      Northern mockingbird
      American robin
      American goldfinch
      Chickadee
      Chicken
      Eastern bluebird
      Mountain bluebird
      Unique state bird
Bird # of states
Northern cardinal 7
Western meadowlark 6
Northern mockingbird 5
Wild turkey
(state game bird or wild game bird)
4
American robin 3
Bobwhite quail
(state game bird or wild game bird)
3
American goldfinch 3
Chickadee 2
Chicken 2
Eastern bluebird 2
Mountain bluebird 2
Wood duck
(state waterfowl or duck)
2
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