Welcome Spring with the American Robin!

Traveling through the thirteen original colonies by highlighting their state birds brings us to Connecticut this month! We're featuring the American Robin, which was designated as the state bird of Connecticut by the General Assembly in 1943. Audubon's print (plate 131) depicts the male, female, and young, all in the branches of the chestnut oak tree.

You may have seen images of the European Robin, which has similarities to the American Robin, but is a different group of bird entirely. So how did these two birds end up with the same name? The answer is that colonists thought the bird they were seeing in New England resembled the robin they knew at home, and started calling it by that name. 

Robins are sometimes considered to be a sign of spring, and as Massachusetts thaws out from a snowy winter, they are a welcome sight. Visit us from April 8 through May 12 to see the American Robin on display in our Audubon case.

This is our fourth state bird in our series, and you can catch up with all of those that have been featured here.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

Bluebirds Visit for March

Our trip through the thirteen original colonies by way of their state birds continues this month with the bluebird (Audubon plate 113). The Eastern Bluebird was established as the New York State Bird in 1970. Shown in this print is the vibrant male soaring above, and the female below, feeding a young bluebird.

Highlighting the bluebird in March serves double-duty. March is Women's History Month, and a few years ago we featured Audubon's print 393, the Townsend Warbler, Arctic Blue-bird, and Western Blue-bird, to bring attention to the fact that in 1915, suffragettes in Massachusetts used the bluebird as a symbol of their movement. Read more about bluebirds for suffrage in our previous blog post.

We're excited for the chance to share a different bluebird print from Birds of America both for suffrage and as part of our state bird series. Visit us from March 10 through April 7 to see this vibrant print on display. And catch up on all featured state birds here.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

Our Northern Neighbor on Display: The New Hampshire State Bird

Our celebration of state birds continues with the Purple Finch, the official state bird of our northern neighbor, New Hampshire. In this print (Audubon plate 4), the more subdued female is shown with two males, both with vibrant red-purple plumage. Their color palette is fitting for display in February, with the Valentine's Day holiday! The Audubon Society writes that Purple Finches are common in the north and east, and will readily come to birdfeeders, so you might see one outside your window.

The Purple Finch became New Hampshire's state bird on April 25, 1957. Its proposal had the backing of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs, and the State Federation of Women’s Clubs.

Visit the library from February 10 through March 10 to see the Purple Finch on display. And if you missed last month's display of Massachusetts' Black-capped chickadee, you can check it out here.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian  

Massachusetts State Bird on Display!

In honor of the country's 250th birthday, we'll be sharing the state birds of some of the thirteen original colonies in our Audubon case throughout the year. Of course, we're starting off with Massachusetts state bird, the Black-capped chickadee. At first pass, we couldn't find this bird in Birds of America, but that is because it is labeled as  "Black-capt Titmouse." The titmouse and chickadee are part of the Paridae family, and older language referred to both as titmouse, which explains why there are no chickadees found in Birds of America. Plate 353 shows the Black-capt Titmouse (bottom center, detail below) along with the Chestnut-backed Titmouse and the Chestnut-crowned Titmouse. They are shown with an impressive nest in the branches of the willow oak tree.

The Massachusetts Legislature designated the Black-capped chickadee as the state bird on March 21, 1941 (1941 Mass. Acts Ch. 121). These are hearty non-migratory birds, which means that they can withstand Massachusetts' harsh winters and can be spotted throughout the year (and in all corners of the Commonwealth). 

Read more about them on the Mass Audubon website, and visit us from January 13 through February 10 to spot one in the library!

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian