First of all, we have to set out what parameters I’ll use to choose a bird for a given state, listed roughly from most important to least important.
Characteristic: First and foremost I think that all state birds should try to represent the ecological and geographical character of the states they symbolize. So if your state is all about mountains, don’t chose some lame bird from the lowlands that you can find in any plains state.
Unique: Few state bird choices bother me as much as Florida’s. Why choose the mockingbird when you have one of the most diverse catalogs of birds in the whole country to choose from? I’ve birded a lot in Florida, and there are so many birds I’ve seen there that I could never hope to see elsewhere in the United States. So why not flaunt it, amiright?
Visibility: This seems to be the main factor states used in determining their state birds, and while I disagree with what choices they reached, I don’t think it should be disregarded either. Visibility is the reason seven states chose the cardinal, and five chose the mockingbird, and there is a benefit to having a bird that is familiar. Birders may associate Arizona with rarities like the elf owl and various Mexican obscurities, but birders are hardly the reason a bird becomes a state symbol. I also feel that some of our most familiar birds, such as jays and woodpeckers (with the exception of the flicker) are not represented but should be. If the first two criteria I listed fail to bring forth an obvious candidate, why not choose the western scrub-jay or red-bellied woodpecker, some of the most well known of North American avifauna?
Folklore: This one is placed low on the totem pole mainly because I frankly have not idea what birds have a local mythology and which don’t. What myths do exist are likely so local it would be hard to justify a state bird based on them. Nonetheless, I’ll keep an open mind to whatever I come across or already know.
Geographic Names: And last we have the criteria that has led to some of my least favorite choices. I’ll go into detail later, but know now that I will not be naming the Tennessee Warbler the state bird of Tennessee, the Philadelphia Vireo the state bird of Pennsylvania, the Virginia Rail the state bird of Virginia, or any other bird whose name has only the weakest of associations with its actual geographic range. That being said, if a bird has other qualifications, an appropriate name will definitely be considered a plus.
I think that covers it, although I reserve the right to change my mind later. Stay tuned for my next post, where I will give judgment on my first state bird, that of the state of Maryland!
