List of U.S. state birds

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 officially adopt its bird was New York in 1970.

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 the wood thrush as 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 1927 Alaska Willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus 1955 American Samoa None, although the bald eagle is displayed on the flag. Arizona Cactus wren Campylorhynchusbrunneicapillus 1931 Arkansas Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 1929 California California quail Callipepla californica 1931 Colorado Lark bunting Calamospiza melanocorys 1931 Connecticut American robin Turdus migratorius 1943 Delaware Blue Hen Chicken Gallus gallus domesticus 1939 District of Columbia Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina 1938 Florida Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 1927 Georgia Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum 1928 Guam Guam rail (ko'ko) Gallirallus owstoni 2000 Hawaii Nene (Hawaiian goose) Branta sandvicensis 1957 Idaho Mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides 1931 Illinois Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 1929 Indiana Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 1933 Iowa Eastern goldfinch (American goldfinch) Spinus tristis tristis 1933 Kansas Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta 1933 Kentucky Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 1926 Louisiana Eastern brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis 1966 Maine Chickadee Poecile, species not specified(de facto Poecile atricapillus) 1927The problem with naming 'the chickadee' as Maine's state bird Bangor Daily News. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019. Maryland Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula 1947 Massachusetts Black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapillus 1941 Michigan American robin Turdus migratorius 1931 Minnesota Common loon Gavia immer 1961 Mississippi Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 1944 Missouri Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis 1927 Montana Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta 1941 Nebraska Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta 1929 Nevada Mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides 1967 New Hampshire Purple finch Haemorhous purpureus 1957 New Jersey Eastern goldfinch (American goldfinch) Spinus tristis tristis 1935 New Mexico Greater roadrunner Geococcyx californianus 1949 New York Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis 1970 North Carolina Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 1943 North Dakota Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta 1947 Northern Mariana Islands Mariana fruit-dove Ptilinopus roseicapilla ? Ohio Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 1933 Oklahoma Scissor-tailed flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus 1951 Oregon Western meadowlark (state songbird) Sturnella neglecta 19272017 Pennsylvania Ruffed grouse(state game bird) Bonasa umbellus 1931 Puerto Rico Puerto Rican spindalis (de facto) Spindalis portoricensis —Debate por el Ave Nacional (primera parte). CienciaPR. Accessed 19 October 2020. Rhode Island Rhode Island Red Gallus gallus domesticus 1954 South Carolina Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus 1948 South Dakota Ring-necked pheasant Phasianus colchicus 1943 Tennessee Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 1933 Texas Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 1927 Utah California gull Larus californicus 1955 Vermont Hermit thrush Catharus guttatus 1941 Virgin Islands Bananaquit Coereba flaveola 1970 Virginia Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 1950 Washington Willow goldfinch (American goldfinch) Spinus tristis salicamans 1951 West Virginia Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 1949 Wisconsin American robin Turdus migratorius 1949 Wyoming Western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta 1927

Notes

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, a state migratory bird, or a bird as their state symbol of peace.

State State bird Scientific name Photography Year Alabama Wild turkey(state game bird) Meleagris gallopavo 1980 Delaware Red knot(state migratory bird) Calidris canutus 2025Delaware Code Title 29 § 335 Georgia Bobwhite quail(state game bird) Colinus virginianus 1970 Idaho Peregrine falcon(state raptor) Falco peregrinus 2004 Massachusetts Wild turkey(state game bird) Meleagris gallopavo 1991MichiganWood duck(state duck)Aix sponsa2026 Mississippi Wood duck(state waterfowl) Aix sponsa 1974 Missouri Bobwhite quail(state game bird) Colinus virginianus 2007 New Hampshire Red-tailed hawk(state raptor) Buteo jamaicensis 2019 Oklahoma Wild turkey(state game bird) Meleagris gallopavo 1990 Oregon Osprey(state raptor) Pandion haliaetus 2017 Pennsylvania Ruffed grouse(state game bird) Bonasa umbellus 1931 South Carolina Northern mockingbird(former state bird) Mimus polyglottos 1939 –1948 Wild turkey(state wild game bird) Meleagris gallopavo 1976 Wood duck(state duck) Aix sponsa 2009Prothonotary warbler(state migratory bird) Protonotaria citrea 2026 Tennessee Bobwhite quail(state wild game bird) Colinus virginianus 1987 Wisconsin Eastern mourning dove(state symbol of peace) Zenaida macroura carolinensis 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.

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 Wood duck(state waterfowl or duck) 3 Chickadee 2 Chicken 2 Eastern bluebird 2 Mountain bluebird 2

See also List of U.S. state dinosaurs

Notes

References

External links