BirdNote®: What’s Your State Bird?
Air Date: April 19, 2019
State birds are usually among the more common species in a state, but not always, as with the endangered Nene goose of Hawaii. And as BirdNote®’s MaryMcCann reports, in some cases they aren’t even native to the North American continent.
Transcript
CURWOOD: It’s Living on Earth, I’m Steve Curwood.
BIRDNOTE THEME
CURWOOD: Every state in the US has an official state bird. Typically, they’re native birds or have a strong connection to the state. But as BirdNote’s Mary Cann reports, that’s not always the case.
BirdNote®
What’s Your State Bird?
Call of Ring-necked Pheasant
MCCANN: This may sound strange, but a bird native to China is the official bird of South Dakota. It’s the Ring-necked Pheasant.
Most state birds are native, though — and common, except for Hawaii’s Nene (pronounced NAY-nay), a type of goose that’s endangered. [Nene call]
Some have special stories. In 1848, insects were devastating crops in Utah. A flock of California Gulls descended and devoured the pests, saving the Mormons’ first harvest. [California Gull calling in the background] A monument in Salt Lake City commemorates this avian intervention.
The “Blue Hen Chicken” is the state bird of Delaware.
Clucking of Gallus gallus behind narration
A captain in one of the first battalions from Delaware in the Revolutionary War raised Blue Hen Chickens for sport. Those soldiers — and those chickens — were famous for their fierce fighting. The company became known as "Blue Hen's Chickens,” still a source of state pride.
The Rhode Island Red’s place as state bird is a bit more mundane. The “Red,” a hardy and productive chicken, was nominated by the poultry industry.
The Northern Cardinal reigns in seven states — the most! [Northern Cardinal song].
The Western Meadowlark was picked by six [Western Meadowlark song].
And the noisy Northern Mockingbird by five. [Northern Mockingbird through end]
I’m Mary McCann.
CURWOOD: For pictures, fly on over to our website loe.org.
