West Virginia State Bird

The 30th state to get admission into statehood is none other than West Virginia. The legalization occurred on June 20 of 1863. Charleston is the capital city of West Virginia while it is known as the Mountain state. It is easy to guess why it is called so. And just like its nickname, even the state bird of West Virginia is an obvious one.

What is the State Bird of West Virginia?

West Virginia selected the Northern Cardinal as its state bird way back in 1949. The Northern Cardinal is actually the state bird for seven states in total, including West Virginia. The main reason for this is the massive popularity the Northern Cardinal enjoys among school kids.

What Makes the State Bird of West Virginia Unusual?

The most unusual part of Northern Cardinal is the bright red color of their plumage. Especially male cardinals have an attractive bright red plumage while female cardinals are much browner in color, with red in their wings. Yet, both male and female cardinals possess a black mask over their face and an extremely pronounced crest. They also have cone shaped bills, though very small in length.

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West Virginia State Bird Facts

Let’s learn some interesting facts about the West Virginia official state bird!

1 . North American female songbirds don’t have a history of singing. It is actually very rare, though Northern Cardinal female songbirds fall among the very few that do. They will be resting in their nest and sing tunes when they want food. It immediately alerts the Northern Cardinal males that their mate is hungry and that they should look for food.

The couples frequently exchange song phrases with each other. In fact, in the case of Northern Cardinal females, their singing can be said to be more nuanced than that of the male cardinals.

2. Spring always has passers-by confused with the behavior of Northern Cardinals. During this time, if a Cardinal spots its reflection in a mirror, it’s seen attacking the mirror. This is because spring is when Northern Cardinals get really protective of their territories. They become extremely aggressive and won’t hesitate to attack anyone that is anywhere near their territory. Unfortunately, this ends up being their own reflections sometimes, as they don’t have the judgment to understand it is nothing more than reflections.

3. This aggressive behavior usually disappears by the time summer falls. However, there have been instances where Northern Cardinals have continued with this behavior despite the passing of the season. One female cardinal continuing this for 6 months without a break once. This is because the hormone in their bodies failed to subside.

Final Thoughts

The mountain state doesn’t have a problem housing its cardinals. Northern Cardinals are common all over North America in general. It is more so the case with West Virginia. After all, it is everyone’s favorite backyard bird. How could West Virginia be an exception? You would frequently see the North Cardinal hanging around in your backyard.

Ornithology

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