7 States That Aren’t Very Creative
While most people know that their state has an "official" bird, this wasn't implemented until the late 1920s. Since then, each state has selected a particular bird to represent the state. However, seven states selected the exact same bird, a Northern Cardinal. It's a popular and attractive bird, so it's no wonder people like it. But with over 1,000 unique varieties of birds in the U.S., surely each state could find one unique to them? Apparently, these seven states didn't think so.
West Virginia
Even though the official state colors are gold and blue, West Virginia picked this beautiful, bright-red bird to represent their state. Cardinals are native to the state and it's common to see them frequenting neighborhoods and parks looking for food and places to nest. You might enjoy sitting at the park eating a Golden Delicious Apple, the state fruit, while watching these birds fly by and care for their families.
Ohio
While you'll find the pleasant singing of the northern cardinal in Ohio, interestingly, these birds did not originally live in the state. They migrated once the area became more developed. As trees were cut down and forests cleared, there was more open land that appealed to these beautiful birds. Now many of them call it their home. If you want a unique experience, try drinking the state's official beverage, tomato juice, while keeping an eye out for these brightly colored birds.
North Carolina
North Carolina has a number of state icons, many of them quite familiar and readily found, so it's no surprise the cardinal makes the list. Their state insect is a honeybee and the state beverage is milk. Perhaps the most fun thing to note is the use of red and blue throughout the state icons. They've even opted for two official state berries, strawberries and blueberries, to make sure the colors are well represented.
Illinois
Illinois is definitely home to a large number of cardinals but had also considered several others to represent their state, including meadowlark, bobwhite quail, bluebird, and oriole. In the end, it was schoolchildren who cast the final vote in 1928 to make the northern cardinal their state bird. Other fun things to note: the state snack food is popcorn as of 2003. The Monarch butterfly is the official insect of the state.
Indiana
You'll find the northern cardinal's bright red throughout the year in Indiana. They officially adopted it as the state bird in 1933. Indiana provides the perfect amount of forests and open areas for these stunning fowl to make their homes. While they picked a very common and popular bird to represent the state, Indiana has a very unique state tree, the Tulip Poplar, that is part of the magnolia family.
Kentucky
Cardinals are happy campers in the Bluegrass State, Kentucky. The residents are quite committed to these birds representing their state. It was officially instated in February of 1926 and then reaffirmed in 1942. While traditionally called a northern cardinal, some refer to it as the Kentucky cardinal. Cardinals are known to mate for life and be very protective of their families.
Virginia
Virginia is for lovers, so it's no surprise they picked the cardinal as the state bird. These stunning red and brown birds pick a life-long partner and raise their chicks together. Even their bird courtship is considered to be romantic. The male will bring dinner to his potential mate and feed it directly to her. Often people think the birds are kissing when they see this happen. The birds work together as a pair to raise two sets of chicks each year.
Not Arizona
Although Arizona opted for the Cactus Wren as their state bird, they still wanted to keep clear ties to the northern cardinal. The state's professional football team opted to use the cardinal as their mascot. These birds can be found in Arizona, though they aren't as commonly seen as in the other states on this list.
Not Missouri
The official state bird of Missouri is the Eastern Bluebird. Still, the bird can be found nesting in the "Show-Me" state. Their ties to the bird also include using it as the mascot for their professional baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals. It seems everywhere this bird lives, everyone wants to broadcast their love for it.
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This article originally appeared on Succulents and Sunshine.