Amazing Facts About How State Birds Were Selected

Posted by Beth Anne Quinlan, PhD Avian Sciences on 7/4/2026 to Wild Birds

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation, I got to thinking about how each of the 50 states has a state bird. So, I set about discovering the state birds and what made them special to each state. The map above designates green for states that have a unique bird and uses other colors for states sharing their bird with another state. The details about what I learned are summarized below.

The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is the state bird of both Missouri and New York. The Eastern Bluebird is one of two bluebirds that are state birds.

Missouri selected the Eastern Bluebird as their state bird in 1927. There were two primary reasons for the selection of this bird--a patriotic color match and a cheerful connection. The Eastern Bluebird has red, white, and blue coloration, so there is an instant patriotic association. The state statute describes the bluebird as the symbol of happiness in an obvious reference to the phrase, 'bluebird of happiness.'

In 1970, New York became the last state to adopt an official bird, the Eastern Bluebird. In 1928, the Federation of Women's Clubs had a vote on Bird Day and the Eastern Bluebird was selected to represent the state, but it never became law. In 1970, bird advocates and the representative from Cortland County brought up the issue of a state bird again. A representative from the Bronx wanted something city-dwellers would be able to identify with--a pigeon or sparrow. After serious debate, the selection of the Eastern Bluebird was passed into law, and New York has a bird that reflects the state as a whole.

The Mountain Bluebird, Sialia currucoides, is the state bird of both Idaho and Nevada. It is geographically specific to the western mountains. The Mountain Bluebird is one of two bluebirds that are state birds.

In 1931, the Mountain Bluebird was chosen as the state bird of Idaho. The Mountain Bluebird was adopted as the first of three symbols for the state of Idaho; defining the state to the public eye. It lives in the open western terrain that defines Idaho; the Mountain Bluebird lives from the northern mountain country to the southern high desert.

Nevada adopted the Mountain Bluebird in 1967 in the same act that reaffirmed sagebrush as the state flower. Later, Nevada codified their tartan to say that blue stands for the state color, Lake Tahoe, and the Mountain Bluebird, making this bluebird more than just a bird, but a color, too.

In 1931, the Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys, was adopted by Colorado as the State Bird. Lark Buntings breed in grasslands, especially the prairie areas of eastern Colorado. It was selected in a poll among grade school students, but there was much resistance including lobbying, competing ballots, and a legislative battle. By selecting the Lark Bunting as the state bird, Colorado was unifying the state beyond the mountains, mines, and scenic wilderness typically associated with the state. Although there are other, more colorful buntings, the Lark Bunting is the only bunting that is a state bird.

The Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, is the state bird for seven states--Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia. The brilliant red of the Northern Cardinal male makes it easily identifiable.

In 1926, Kentucky became the first to adopt the Northern Cardinal, identifying it as the 'native redbird, commonly known as the Kentucky cardinal.' The law also requires that the Kentucky cardinal be placed as the head of any flagstaff displaying the flag of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The cardinal should be in an 'alert but restful pose'. This takes the Northern Cardinal beyond a symbol of the Kentucky and into a physical object with a specific posture.

The state of Illinois made the Northern Cardinal their state bird in 1929, a carry-over from the prior year when the school children in that state voted for it to become the state bird. The children voted on a ballot containing five different birds; the Northern Cardinal beat the bluebird, oriole, meadowlark, and bobwhite. Illinois stands out among the cardinal states due to the public participation (voting) prior to the legislative action.

In 1933, the state of Indiana made the 'Red Bird or Cardinal' their state bird. The wording has not been changed since the original statute was written and many Hoosiers still call this bird the Red Bird. Following two neighboring states in bird choice showed a regional unity, yet the nomenclature maintained the individuality of the state and their desire for birds to be accessible to all of their citizens.

Ohio adopted the Northern Cardinal in 1933. The Northern Cardinal was not always widespread throughout the state, in fact, they were rather sparsely located. As settlers cleared the dense woodlands and created farmlands, towns, and brushy edges to the woods, the Northern Cardinal was able to establish itself in the environment best suited to this beautiful bird. When the Northern Cardinal was selected, it was a bird that was firmly established in the everyday life of the citizens of Ohio.

The state of North Carolina adopted the Northern Cardinal in 1943. This was the second bird North Carolina named as their state bird; the Carolina Chickadee was the first, but this law was repealed almost immediately after it was passed. In 1943, the North Carolina Bird Club organized a statewide vote and received more than 28,000 ballots from schools, garden clubs, and other sources throughout the state. The Northern Cardinal was the winner and became the official state bird shortly afterward.

The Northern Cardinal was adopted by West Virginia in 1949. Public school students, college students, garden clubs, sportsmen, and bird-study groups voted on the state bird and the Northern Cardinal won by over 11,000 votes. This demonstrates the overwhelming popularity of the bird among individuals of all ages. West Virginia is in the geographic center of the cardinal states, which shows how well the Northern Cardinal fits the climate and terrain of the region.

In 1950, Virginia formally adopted the Northern Cardinal. In 1731-1743, English naturalist Mark Catesby visited North America and wrote that the Northern Cardinal was the bird most frequently brought from Virginia, thus establishing the first association between the bird and the state. Later, Virginia paired the Northern Cardinal with the Dogwood, giving a unique Virginia identity to a shared bird.

The Black-Capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus, is the state bird of both Maine and Massachusetts. In 1933, the Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis, was briefly the state bird of North Carolina, but the law was repealed shortly afterward due to the bird's nickname, the Tomtit. There are three other chickadees found in our country.

In 1927, Maine adopted the Black-Capped Chickadee as their state bird. The Black-Capped Chickadee is a year-round resident of the state and a bird commonly found in the interior of Maine where most of the population resides. While other birds migrate south during Maine's brutal winters, this cute bird remains with the residents and is symbolic of their character.

Massachusetts chose the Black-Capped Chickadee in 1941. During the 1930s, the conversations leaned toward the veery, a migratory bird, but the Black-Capped Chickadee, a permanent resident was selected. Further, the Black-Capped Chickadee has distinctive markings and is easy for citizens to identify.

In 1939, the Delaware Blue Hen, Gallus gallus domesticus, was named the state bird of Delaware. This bird is not a specific breed, but rather a generalization from the Revolutionary War phrase, 'Blue Hen's Chickens'. During the Revolutionary war, Jonathan Caldwell's company in the Delaware Regiment had their fighting compared to gamecocks using that phrase and it came to be associated with these soldiers. It later came to be associated with residents of Delaware and was later adopted by the University of Delaware as their mascot. Delaware is one of two states to select chickens for their state birds.

Rhode Island adopted the Rhode Island Red, Gallus gallus domesticus, in 1954. Legislators selected this breed of chicken over popular wild birds they considered, including the Osprey and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Rhode Islanders chose a breed with their state's name already attached, a bird that had been created and improved in the state. Today, Rhode Island Red chickens are bred throughout the world and are symbolic of the contributions of the citizens of the state.

In 1957, New Hampshire adopted the Purple Finch, Haemorhous purpureus, as their state bird. The choice was a battle between the Purple Finch and the New Hampshire hen. In the end, it was a battle between the identity of New Hampshire as an agricultural state with a bird carrying the state's name vs a wild species that was encountered by residents in their every-day outdoor pursuits. The Purple Finch was backed by the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs, and the state Federation of Women's Clubs.