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Birds: Native Species and Migratory Visitors

A female Northern Cardinal.
A female Northern Cardinal. Public domain photo by Ken Thomas.

Birds seen in Kentucky come in all sizes, from tiny ruby-throat hummingbirds and small Carolina wrens, to the great egrets and wild turkeys that roam the commonwealth to the huge ostriches, native to Africa, that have been brought to Kentucky farms by humans.

Birds are a diverse class of vertebrate bipeds. They live on every continent and in the ocean, with some of the same individual birds living on two continents; migrating great distances every year to take advantage of the alternate seasons to avoid weather extremes and find continous food sources. For example, purple martins visit Kentucky each year, coming in early spring and staying until mid-summer, when they begin their long flight south, some going as far as South America.

The bird's ability to fly is shared by mammalian bats and multiple insect species. The one characteristic that distinguishes birds from other animals are their feathers, collectively called plumage.

Birds are social animals and communicate with each other and sometimes other animals through their songs. They are basically territorial animals and live in small family groups or sometimes form large flocks.

They lay eggs, usually in a nest, cared for by one or both parents. The young require much fledging after they hatch out, with some parent couples making up to 1000 trips a day to the nest with food.

A few species are nocturnal or crepuscular (active during twilight hours). Most however, are diurnal and work most of the day searching out and eating the particular food that suits their species best, from seeds, fruits, and nectar, to small animals, fish, and carrion.

There are around 10,000 known species of birds living on the earth, and the Kentucky Ornithological Society list 364 species found in Kentucky.

Each of the fifty states of the United States has chosen an offiicial state bird sometime in their histories.

Twenty-eight birds represent the 50 states, as some of the same individual bird species have been chosen by more than one state.

The Northern Cardinal represents the most states with seven - Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The cardinal is followed closely by the Western Meadowlark, which is the state bird of six - Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

The Northern Mockingbird, the official state bird of five US states.

The Northern Mockingbird, pictured above, was chosen by five states - Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.

The American Robin, pictured below, represents the states of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The American Robin.

See a listing of all the state birds at right.

  • American Goldfinch State Bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington
  • American Robin State Bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin
  • Baltimore Oriole State Bird of Maryland
  • Black-capped Chickadee State Bird of Maine and Massachusetts
  • Blue Hen Chicken, State Bird of Delaware (Flashcard not available.)
  • Brown Pelican State Bird of Louisiana
  • Brown Thrasher State Bird of Georgia
  • Cactus Wren State Bird of Arizona
  • California Gull State Bird of Utah
  • California Quail State Bird of California
  • Carolina Wren State Bird of South Carolina
  • Common Loon State Bird of Minnesota
  • Eastern Bluebird State Bird of Missouri and New York
  • Hermit Thrush State Bird of Vermont
  • Lark Bunting State Bird of Colorado
  • Mountain Bluebird State Bird of Idaho and Nevada
  • Nene (Hawaiian Goose), State Bird of Hawaii (Flashcard not available.)
  • Northern Cardinal State Bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • Northern Mockingbird State Bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas
  • Purple Finch State Bird of New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island Red Chicken, State Bird of Rhode Island, (Flashcard not available.)
  • Ring-necked Pheasant State Bird of South Dakota
  • Roadrunner, State Bird of New Mexico, (Flashcard not available.)
  • Ruffed Grouse State Bird of Pennsylvania
  • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher State Bird of Oklahoma
  • Western Meadowlark State Bird of Wyoming
  • Willow Ptarmigan State Bird of Alaska
  • Yellowhammer, State Bird of Alabama (Flashcard not available.)

    eNature.com Wildlife Guides


    To see pictures of most of the state birds, click on the links above to view eNature.com Flashcards on individual birds, containing descriptions and photographs.
    All content in the Flashcards are copyrighted property of eNature.com    .

    • FUN FACTS: John James Audubon, one of the most famous bird artists of all times, did much of the work on his masterpiece, The Birds of America, while living in Kentucky. The National Audubon Society is named for him.

    For more resources and links on Birds and Birding, visit Explore-Learn-Play"

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