state bird: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1neutral, formal in official contexts, informal in educational/touristic contexts
Quick answer
What does “state bird” mean?
The official bird symbol of a U.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The official bird symbol of a U.S. state, chosen by state legislation.
A bird species designated to represent a particular state, often reflecting local ecology, culture, or history; can be extended metaphorically to other official state symbols or to a defining characteristic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The concept is almost exclusively American. A British equivalent might be 'county bird' or 'national bird of a constituent country', but these are not official or widely used terms.
Connotations
In the US: civic pride, local identity, educational fact. In the UK: an exotic Americanism, a trivia fact about the US.
Frequency
High frequency in US educational, touristic, and governmental contexts; very low to zero frequency in UK English outside discussions of US culture.
Grammar
How to Use “state bird” in a Sentence
The [bird species] is the state bird of [State].[State]'s state bird is the [bird species].[State] adopted the [bird species] as its state bird in [year].Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in branding for state-affiliated businesses or tourism marketing.
Academic
Used in geography, civics, biology, and American studies contexts.
Everyday
Common in school projects, trivia, travel guides, and state pride discussions.
Technical
Used in ornithology when discussing species distribution and human cultural associations.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “state bird”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “state bird”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “state bird”
- Using 'state bird' to refer to the national bird (the Bald Eagle) of the USA.
- Capitalizing it as a proper noun unless it begins a sentence or is part of an official title (e.g., 'The Northern Cardinal is the State Bird of Ohio').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States. While it is a powerful symbol, no individual state has officially designated it as their state bird.
Typically, a state has one officially designated state bird. However, some states have additional official symbols like a state game bird, state raptor, or state waterfowl.
A state bird is usually chosen through an act of the state legislature, often following proposals from civic groups, schoolchildren, or ornithological societies. The process varies by state.
Not directly. Other countries might have national birds, or birds symbolic of provinces, regions, or territories, but the formal, widespread system of 'state birds' is unique to the United States.
The official bird symbol of a U.
State bird is usually neutral, formal in official contexts, informal in educational/touristic contexts in register.
State bird: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsteɪt ˌbɜːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsteɪt ˌbɝːd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[He/She/It] is about as common as a state bird in winter. (rare, not seen often)”
- “It's our state bird of happiness. (metaphorical for something that represents a feeling or state of being)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a bird sitting on a **state** signpost. The sign says the bird's name, officially marking it as the bird for that state.
Conceptual Metaphor
SYMBOL IS A REPRESENTATIVE (The bird stands for the state's identity and values.)
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following statements about a 'state bird' is most accurate?