The mockingbird is the official state bird of five U.S. states: Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. This plain-looking gray bird achieved this status due to its melodious song, intelligence, adaptability, and familiarity across the southern United States.
Which States Have the Mockingbird as Their State Bird?
The mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is the official state bird of the following states:
- Arkansas – adopted in 1929
- Florida – adopted in 1927
- Mississippi – adopted in 1944
- Tennessee – adopted in 1933
- Texas – adopted in 1927
In addition, the mockingbird was the state bird of South Carolina for over 70 years until it was replaced by the Carolina wren in 1948.
Why Was the Mockingbird Chosen?
There are several key reasons why the mockingbird gained favor as the state bird in many southern states:
Melodious song
The mockingbird is renowned for its musical song, singing both day and night. A male mockingbird has a repertoire of over 100 unique songs and can mimic the calls of other birds and sounds in its environment. This beautiful and varied song likely helped the mockingbird become a popular state symbol.
Intelligence
Mockingbirds exhibit intelligence and adaptability. They are able to remember and recognize individual people who have threatened their nests and will dive-bomb those specific individuals. Mockingbirds also readily adapt to urban and suburban environments. Their intelligence and resourcefulness made them an admirable state symbol.
Familiarity
As a year-round resident across the southern United States, the mockingbird was a familiar species to state residents. In the early 20th century when states were adopting official state symbols, the mockingbird’s familiar presence likely helped it gain favor as the state bird in multiple states.
Additional Reasons for Each State
In addition to the general reasons above, each state had its own specific rationale for choosing the mockingbird:
| State | Year Adopted | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 1929 | Chosen because of the mockingbird’s popularity across the state. |
| Florida | 1927 | Selected because of its melodious song heard commonly across the state. |
| Mississippi | 1944 | Viewed as a grateful reminder of Mississippi’s deep connection to music. |
| Tennessee | 1933 | Recognized for making Tennessee a joyful place with its beautiful and varied songs. |
| Texas | 1927 | Chosen for its association with the history of the state going back to indigenous Native American tribes. |
Historical Significance
The mockingbird has historical and cultural significance in the southern United States. Indigenous Native American tribes incorporated the mockingbird into folklore and songs. As European settlers colonized the South, the mockingbird’s song became a symbol of the region’s natural splendor. By the early 20th century, the mockingbird was a well-established symbol of the South.
Native American Folklore
Native American tribes told legends of mockingbirds acting as message carriers. The Cherokee believed mockingbirds were gifted singers and could bring happiness. Choctaw and Creek folktales featured mockingbirds as main characters. Mockingbirds had symbolic meaning in the oral storytelling traditions of southern Native American tribes before European settlement.
Settler Literature and Songs
As European settlers spread across the southern United States in the late 18th and 19th centuries, they incorporated the mockingbird into stories, poems, and songs as a representation of the South’s distinctive landscape. Famed writers like William Faulkner made references to mockingbirds. The mockingbird also appeared in traditional folk songs like “Listen to the Mockingbird” from the mid-1800s.
Population Changes
The mockingbird thrived in the South in the early 20th century. However, mockingbird populations declined in parts of the southern United States during the latter half of the century due to urbanization, pesticide use, and other factors. Conservation efforts and habitat protection will be important going forward to preserve mockingbird populations so they remain a familiar sight and sound across the southern states.
Conclusion
The mockingbird gained recognition as the official state bird of five southern states thanks to its familiar presence and its intelligent, musical nature. As a prominent symbol in Native American oral traditions and later settler literature, the mockingbird had cultural significance across the South. This special heritage helped inspire multiple states to designate the mockingbird as an official state symbol in the early 20th century. The mockingbird remains an iconic species in the South over a century later.
