As a person who lives in nebraska, I think that both the Western Meadowlark and Common grackle are unfitting birds for nebraska. I believe it should be the sandhill crane, because they are famous for arriving in the millions by the platte river in nebraska on their migratory journey.
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Florida definitely needs to be something other than Northern Mockingbird, as nothing about mockingbird suggests Florida and many other states also have that as the official bird.
White Ibis would be a better choice than mockingbird, although many state residents (myself included) think it should be the Florida Scrub Jay, our only endemic bird. There have been multiple attempts to make this happen in the state legislature, but they always fail.
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Canada’s provinces and territories have (mostly) chosen their bird emblems on that basis - I wouldn’t change any of them if I could:
Atlantic Puffin - Newfoundland & Labrador
Black-capped Chickadee - New Brunswick
Blue Jay - Prince Edward Island
Common Loon - Ontario
Common Raven - Yukon
Great Gray Owl - Manitoba
Great Horned Owl - Alberta
Gyrfalcon - Northwest Territories
Osprey - Nova Scotia
Rock Ptarmigan - Nunavut
Sharp-tailed Grouse - Saskatchewan
Snowy Owl - Quebec
Steller’s Jay - British Columbia
While Canada still has no official national bird, there’s been a concerted effort to designate the Canada Jay. It would also be entirely appropriate for some national recognition of the Harris’s Sparrow, which is the only bird species that nests exclusively in Canada.
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Given the historically weak connection between political action and protecting bird habitat, the answer to “What should your state’s bird be?” might just be… unthreatened.
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Fun project! We enjoyed reading everyone’s ideas! Thanks for creating this topic.
Well, observation totals reduce criterion to a popularity contest of daytime viewing. Some owls are often not seen or heard as much so we rule out nocturnals this way? Observable does not equate with the bird’s importance or meaning necessarily either. What about important breeding grounds? Or a bird people would travel to your state to see as ideas?
We often discuss our state bird. Minnesota’s is Common Loon. This is unique among states and is part of the state’s summer culture of recreation.
Another option for Minnesota would be Golden-winged Warbler: “Minnesota now has the highest remaining density of Golden-winged Warblers, with about half the global population” (cornell). And it’s in steep decline and could use the publicity.
We also had the highest populations of nesting Bald Eagles in the lower 48 in the 2007 census
Minnesota participated in the Trumpeter Swan recovery, so that could be apt.
Also, many people visit the Sax-Zim Bog at the southern edge of the Boreal Forest to see Great Gray Owls, but perhaps that bird is too niche for a state bird.
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As someone from Massachusetts, I think Black-capped Chickadee is pretty good. There are other birds that perhaps have the most dense breeding populations here, or are now-extinct endemics, but chickadees are ubiquitous throughout the state and instantly-recognizable by naturalists and non-nature folk alike. Maine should have one of their cool boreal birds or Bald Eagle/Common Raven to avoid the duplication. With several hundred birds in the states it’s kinda sad to see all the duplicates, especially cardinal as the state bird of about 15% of US states.
Manx Shearwater, on the other hand, does not fit into any of these categories. Sure, those looking during the right time of year may see them, but 99% of our population probably has no idea what they are and have never seen them, they’re not breeding or wintering in the state, nor do they have any other special ties. I think this state represents instances where a certain determination method based on percentages may not be the best fit. It’d be interesting to see how that differed versus eBird data. I bet it’d probably still be some pelagic (or mega-rarity like Gray Heron/Northern Lapwing).
For MA, if I had to shift I’d probably suggest Roseate Terns, as over half of the global population nests on two tiny islands here.
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This seems true to us 
On that note, I think that the Dominican Republic got it right with their national bird: the palmchat. Not one of the most colorful birds, but not only is it endemic to the island, but a flock of them among the royal palms on a hillside is so evocative of the Dominican countryside.
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This is such a cool concept, I love that you made matching maps for each of them for comparison. It always amazes me what can be done when you throw a pile of stats at someone who knows how to code
For as much as I love the current bird for Arkansas (and many surrounding southern states) being the feisty Mockingbird, Summer Tanagers are pretty cool too… Their arrival is a sure sign of spring giving way to summer, and they’re pretty feisty in their own way-- those big beaks of theirs are often used to grab hornets and wasps. It’s kind of shocking since they’re so colorful and relatively small. They’re tough while still being absolutely beautiful (no offense to Mockingbirds and their more utilitarian appearance…), so I would sign them up to be on the new PR team anyday for the natural state. :)
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I’m prejudiced but I would pick the Florida Scrub-Jay as Florida’s state bird. It exists only in Florida. It is considered rare but is locally common. Where it can be found, is is easily approachable to be observed and photographed. Having it as our state bird would also raise awareness for the conservation of this bird and its endangered scrub habitat.
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I totally agree.
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I also totally agree. Not to mention how cool they look! Our scrub habitats are so precious, and you really can’t find anything like it anywhere else. If we were to have a state lizard, the Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi) would definitely be my pick.
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That’s me for both:)
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A zoologist friend told me that the Carolina Chickadee had previously been the state bird for North Carolina, but a vote of school children had changed it to the Northern Cardinal. The Carolina Chickadee is common and familiar in my state, so heck yeah, great suggestion. No disrespect to the Northern Cardinal, of course, but it is less characteristic of the Carolinas than our own chickadee.
The story my friend told me is backed up by an entry in NCPedia: State Bird of North Carolina: Cardinal
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Oklahoma’s state bird is pretty on point honestly. It’s beautiful and not seen everywhere. If it wasn’t the scissor-tailed flycatcher I think it should be the turkey vulture. They are everywhere here, they provide valuable ecological services, they are the definition of a survivor, and they get no love.
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My opinion, a state bird should be a species that even a non-birder would have some familiarity with. Ideally it’s one that hangs around places that humans frequent such as suburban yards, parks, etc. And it should have some characteristics that set it apart. Obscure species of sparrows don’t make the cut.
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Really appreciating this list and the criteria that went into it. We found it interesting that this list suggests the same option we did for Minnesota: Golden-winged Warbler (with Trumpeter Swan as an alternate).
We think the one barrier we perceive is that three of the birds have names of other municipalities that don’t fit their locale, which might prove disconcerting to residents:
ARKANSAS: Kentucky Warbler (in college, these schools compete, so is it a non-starter to suggest this bird?). Any of the alternates would do.
QUEBEC: Philadelphia Vireo. Is it too cheeky to suggest Bonaparte’s Gull? Any Quebecois care to weigh in? They do occur there.
MANITOBA: Connecticut Warbler. Any of the alternates would do.
KENTUCKY listed Kentucky Warbler as an alternate. We get the criteria, but doesn’t this seem like a no-brainer, criteria aside?
Other states with eponymous city-named birds might not want to use them, but the birds do occur in these states:
MARYLAND could have Baltimore Oriole
PENNSYLVANIA could have Philadelphia Vireo
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Yes, agreed.
I do think it’s silly that some birds are named after areas that they are neither breeding nor wintering residents of. For example, while hiking with a friend in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I had to explain that we were more likely to see Canada Warblers than either Tennessee or Nashville Warblers. Philadelphia Vireos only pass through Pennsylvania, and Connecticut Warblers only pass through Connecticut. Baltimore Orioles and Kentucky Warblers are at least breeding residents in the areas for which they are named.
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We don’t have any birds named after us in MN, but I feel that the common loon fits us well
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