| Show 0 J W t P rz W R L go ruba crowed F 4 Kini glet A WIT 47 4 7 painted buntina Bunt inq nonpareil T A As r 1 ka W 91 1 at k ajo WA f chickadee kadee cardinal by ELMO SCOTT WATSON VATSON the last year two more states have joined the ranks of those which have an official state bird by formal action of the legislature the carolina chickadee was bas B as adopted in north carolina and in indiana that honor diw fell el to the eastern cardinal although the rose breasted grosbeak was strongly urged for it now INOW only four states connecticut iowa new jersey and tennessee axe are without such feathered representatives but an effort la Is under way to swing them into line the ruby crowned kinglet has been suggested its es an appropriate avlan avian emblem for connecticut it has been suggested that the hawkeye state would be an even more appropriate nickname lor for iowa if it adopted the sparrow hawk tor for its official state bird the bobolink robert of lincoln Is a su suggestion that Is meeting with favor for new jersey and tennessee Is being urged to choose the painted bunting or nonpareil the birds thus honored by the states have been selected for a variety of reasons because of traditional associations for their beauty their pleasing songs or their economic value in some cases the carn campaign paig agn to have a state bird named was conducted by the state audubon society but tn in most instances the selection was the direct result of the efforts of the state federation of clubs an outstanding ln leader in this movement has been mrs airs katherine B tippetts chairman of the division of conservation of the general fedoration federation of clubs some time ago the american nature association published a booklet called birds of the states ilow how when and why they were chosen as official emblems and in this booklet sirs mrs tippetts reviews the campaigns which brought about the selections of the various official clat state birds as follows in 1927 at at the request of the ladles ladies memorial association the legislature legisla tuie of alabama adopted the flicker or yellow hammer as the off official lelal state bird the members of this or organization leation urged the choice because the alabama soldiers in the confederate army were known as yellow 11 hammers ammers and the yellow lining of the birds wings and tall tail recall the uniform colors of the alabama cavalry in arizona mrs D L craig chairman of con atlon for the state launched a campaign for a state bird and ballots were cast for various candidates cut but when these were mere counted the cactus wren was out la in front la in a run anay contest in arkansas the state federation of W omens clubs sponsored the mockingbird for official honors A campaign campal agn was conducted under the direction of mrs W A utley this bird being the overwhelming choice the california audubon society and kindred groups sponsored the campaign for a state bird for the golden state the final balloting revealed the valley quail in the lead and on june 12 1931 the governor made the choice Olm official elal in colorado the selection of the lark bunting came at the climax of a campaign which was conducted by ardent partisans in delaware the mockingbird made an unsuccessful run for state honors against the cardinal which was selected by a large majority of those voting in the campaign organized by mrs L V atkins sponsored by the audubon society of st petersburg the vote for Flo state bird was active and interesting although overwhelmingly tor for the mockingbird running safely ahead of the redheaded red headed woodpecker and the purple martin marlin the brown thrasher was chosen by the school children of georgia la in 1928 the campaign was inaugurated by the fifth district of the state federation of clubs and was sponsored by the atlanta bird club and kindred groups interest in the campaign 1 in idaho tan a high As the state federation conservation chairman mrs E IT carton barton presented the hie western tanager as the choice of the clubs of the state cut but the children overruled her and in the balloting the mountain bluebird meadowlark and robin were favorites the former led the field and was generally endorsed so mrs barton fostered official approval by the legislature and this became law in 1031 1931 rose breasted grosbeak lmh P L louisiana pelican in illinois the state bird campaign developed the meadowlark song sone sparrow wren and the bobwhite as favorites together with the catbird sirs mrs J U D mckinney of the state federation sponsored a bill for the catbird which for some reason emerged as a bill for the cardinal which bich was legally approved on june 4 1929 1029 back in 1024 1924 under the leadership of 0 miss madeleine aaron secretary of the audubon society of kansas a campaign was launched for selection of a state bird widespread publicity was given and a large vote was gotten out giving the western meadowlark a plurality of some votes over the other candidates james lane allen alien made the cardinal the favored bird of kentucky in his famous boote book of that name and it was both natural and inevitable that it be established as the official state bird the 1920 session of the legislature passed such a resolution which was approved february 17 1020 1926 the pelican was established as louisianan Loui state bird through the medium of the state sea which was formally designated in 1002 by the then governor liet heard ird maines legislators officially approved the chickadee as the state bird in III 1927 after a campaign conducted by the state federation of clubs with the leadership of mrs carl n E kelley clubs schools and the state grange joined to in the balloting it may be said bald that maryland was presented with a state bird nearly a century and a half before it became a state it Is related that george calvert selected as the colors for ills his coat of arms the orange and black of a beautiful bird that lie he found common among the trees A century later catesby in the account of his famous travels in virginia and carolina called this the baltimore bird and from his description the great naturalist linnaeus formally described sc bribed the bird in ITIS 1758 ever since that time the baltimore oriole tins has been Ma rylands state bird from october 1028 to slay may 1029 I 1 the state audubon society of michigan conducted a systematic campaign with the operation cooperation co of the press libraries schools nod and many groups A total of 1 votes were cast the robin leading with a vote of the choice was legalized on april 8 1931 1031 minnesota was faced with an embarrassment of excellent candidates in its ita state bird vote organized sed by mrs willard bayliss then president of 0 the state federation of clubs after much publicity and a substantial vote for the goldfinch it was selected debates in the schools special club programs and publicity attended is state bird cami campaign cameial ial n conducted by mrs G 11 II tie ever chairman which was made the outstanding work of the conservation division of the state federation in 10 IP 1929 9 the mockingbird proved to be the popular choice choice of the western meadowlark as the state bird of montana came as the result of a rousing state campaign led by mrs 1 I D llad zor then conservation chairman of the state federation twenty seven candidates contested in nebraska in the campaign submitted to the schools by mrs airs IN ILabeth li hoefer state chairman of conservation fier after the state federation had bad approved such a drive the meadowlark was suc and was offic officially lally recognized on march 22 1929 29 nevada citizens and school children had little difficulty in arriving at a choice of it a state bird the mountain bluebird leading the field in an e 1 l I 1 1 4 ra J kouse house wren I 1 I 1 b all drawings except louisiana pelican by R bruce horsfall courtesy nature magazine extended vote during 1930 1020 and 1931 this bird was the nominee of tiie the club women of the state the new hampshire federation of clubs through sirs mrs lucy V F richardson then chairman of 0 conservation sponsored a vote in 1927 1027 that returned the purple finch as victor in the state bird ballot dividing the state into districts new mexico was thoroughly canvassed for its opinion on on a state bird and the roadrunner road runner led all the rest in fact the vote for this typical bird was just about unanimous urs tom toia charles president reported the choice an old campaign for state bird of new york having selected the robin and let the matter drop there a new campaign was launched la in 1927 28 under tinder mrs charles cyrus marshall although the robin was included as a nominee he be ran well behind the bluebird iab which now cow is regarded as the state bird through Th roush the circulation of leaflets describing the three most useful birds not then selected for state bird honors elsewhere sirs mrs I 1 T frary chairman of nelld wild life tor for the state federation of ohio conducted an effective campaign in 1928 ballots were included and the vote gave the house wren m ren a lead of votes over its nearest rival more than votes were cast in okla homas campaign tor for a state bird under the leadership of sirs mrs W A campbell and sirs mrs ellen howard miller and the bobwhite bob white triumphed uni plied by a wide margin in 1926 the oregon audubon society asked for a vote for state bird and got more than votes rotes for the western meadowlark out ot of cast the ruffed grouse was legalized as the state bird of pennsylvania by the legislature of 1031 1931 after a long campaign and deliberate voting mrs lars harry J shoemaker chairman of birds and flowers and the officers of the state federation of clubs as a whole urged the selection schools clubs granges scout troops and other organizations joined in voting tor for the bobwhite as rhode islands state birl bird the campaign in south carolina was under the leadership of miss claudia and I 1 in 1930 1030 the carolina wren won honors over the carolina dove doe various organizations joined with the state federation of clubs in texas in selecting a state bird more than childr children en added their ballots and the victor was the western mockingbird state bird Is the sea gull la in grateful remembrance of the gulls that delivered the crops of the farmers from the post pest of the insects in 1818 and a monument to the birds stands in the p park ark of the mornion mormon tabernacle in vermont the state federation of clubs conducted a campaign in 1927 1027 the hermit thrush emerging victorious in virginia the late miss kathorine katherine stuart drew together bird lovers and conservationists in an educational campaign that made the robin state bird by popular vote the robin ran way ahead in t the he vote taken in wisconsin under the leadership of mrs walter bowman who conducted the campaign as conservation chairman in 1928 1926 mrs edward ewel ewe of WyomIng was one of the first to respond to the call for a state bird campaign and by 1920 the western meadowlark was wa established as the favorite 0 by western faloa |
