State Guides to Birds

State Guides to Birds — page 1 — Alabama Northern Flicker Yellowhammer You can spot a northern ﬂ icker just by watching it ﬂ y This woodpecker’s feathers are either bright yellow or red under its wings While it nests in tree hollows it forages for food on the ground It mostly eats ants but also searches for other insects and fruits It lives in woodlands and is common in Alabama The northern ﬂ icker is also called a yellowhammer because of its yellow wing color During the American Civil War Alabamans called troops of soldiers Yellowhammers because of the yellow on their uniforms It’s the reason this bird was chosen as an Alabama state symbol Scientiﬁ c Name Colaptes auratus Length 12 13 inches 31 33 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1927 4

State Guides to Birds — page 2 — Alaska Willow Ptarmigan The willow ptarmigan is found in cold tundra areas of the world Its feathers turn from brown to snowy white in the fall This makes great camouﬂ age during the long Alaskan winters This bird also has built-in snowshoes Its feathered feet help it walk on ice and snow In the mid-1950s Alaskan kids voted for the willow ptarmigan to be the state bird It became ofﬁ cial when Alaska became a state in 1959 Scientiﬁ c Name Lagopus lagopus Length 14 17 5 inches 35 44 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1959 5

State Guides to Birds — page 3 — Arizona Cactus Wren The cactus wren has a unique way to stay safe from snakes coyotes and other predators It lives in a thorny home a cactus Arizona’s deserts are ﬁ lled with cacti where the bird makes its ball-shaped nests This large wren goes to the ground to search for insects fruit and seeds Sometimes it even ﬁ nds small lizards to eat Scientiﬁ c Name Campylorhrnchus brunneicapillus Length 7 8 5 inches 18 22 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1931 6

State Guides to Birds — page 4 — Arkansas Mockingbird The mockingbird is known for its original singing style Its complex songs include imitations of different sounds You might hear a siren dog barks or another bird’s song coming from a mockingbird It lives by the forest and in open areas where it ﬁ nds berries and insects to eat This bird is a popular choice for a state symbol It’s also the state bird of Florida Mississippi Tennessee and Texas See Florida p 12 Mississippi p 25 Tennessee p 39 and Texas p 40 Scientiﬁ c Name Mimus polyglottos Length 8 5 10 inches 22 25 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1929 7

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