The Coolidge examiner., 1934-04-06

In Illinois the state bird campaign developed
the meadowlark. song sparrow. wren and the
bobwhlie favorIies. together with the cAtblrd.
Mira J. ID. Mckinney OF the state federation
sponsored a bin for the eaiblrd. which. for some
reason. emerged as bin for the cardinal which
was legally approved on June 4. 1920
Back In 1924 under the leadership OF Miss
Madeleine Aaron. secretary OF the Audubon
Society Of Kansas a campaign vas launched for
selection OF state bird Widespread publicity
vas given and a large vote was gotten out.
giving the western meadowlark a plurality OF
some III 600 votes over the other candidates.
james Lane Alien made the cardinal the
favored bird OF Kentucky In his famous book
Of that name and IL both natural and In
eyltnble that II be established as the Official
state bird The 1896 session Of the legislature
passed such a resolution. which was approved
February IL. 1906
The pelican was established as louisiana
state bird through the medium OF the state seal.
which was formally designated In 1902 by the
then Governor Heard.
"Malne's legislators officially approved the
chlekadee as the state bird In 1927 after a cam
palgn conducted by the State Federation OF Won
ems clubs with the leadership OF AIRS Carl E.
Kelley. Clubs. schools and the state grange
Joined In the balloting
-It may be said that Maryland was presented
with state bird nearly a century and a half
before II became a state. II Is related that
George Calvert selected as the colors for his
coat OF arms the orange and black OF a beautiful
bird that be found common among the trees
A century later Catesby. in the account OF his
famous travels In Virginia and Carolina. called
this the Baltimore bird. and from his descrip-
ton the great naturalist Linnaeus formally de-
scribed the bird in l75S Ever since that time
! Aa~
bird.
From October. 1925. to May. 1929 the State
Audubon Society OF Michigan conducted a sys-
tematlc campaign with the cooperation OF the
press. Libraries, schools and many groups. A
total OF 1S4.2o9 votes were cast. the robin lead
Ing with n vote OF 45,541. The choice was legal
ICED on April s. 1881.
Minnesota was faced with an embarrassment
OF excellent candidates In its state bird vote
organized by Mrs willard Bayliss then president
Of the State Federation OF women's clubs. After
much publicity and a substantial vote for the
goldfinch, II was selected
Debates in the schools, special club programs
and publicity attended MIssissipprs state bird
campaign conducted by Mrs. G. II. Reever. chair
man. which made the outstanding work OF
the conservation division OF the state federation
In 1929. The mockingbIrd proved TO be the
popular choice.
Choice OF the western meadowlark the
state bird OF Montana came as the result OF a
rousing state campaign led by Mrs. ]. q. Hadzor
then conservation chairman OF the state fedora
ton
Twenty seven candidates contested in Ne
braska In the campaign submitted to the schools
by Mrs. Elizabeth Hoefer, state chairman OF con-
servation, after the state federation had ap-
proved such a drive The Meadowlark was sue
cussful and was officially recognized March
80, 1929.
Nevada citizens and school children had little
difficulty in arriving at a choice OF a state bird
the mountain bluebrd leading the field In ar