American Goldfinches in the Library

Our road trip through the thirteen original colonies in honor of the 250th continues this month with the the American Goldfinch (Audubon plate 33).

Also commonly known as the Eastern Goldfinch, this is the New Jersey State Bird, established as such on June 1935.

We know from the bright yellow feathers that the male goldfinches shown in this print are depicted in summer! In the winter, their feathers turn a more dull grey/brown. The goldfinches are shown amongst the blooms of the common thistle.

The American Goldfinch is found throughout all of Massachusetts year-round. Click through to the Mass Audubon website to read more, including a transcription of Henry David Thoreau's observation of a goldfinch from A Week On the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

Be sure to round out your summer by visiting the library from August 11 through September 8 to see the American Goldfinch on display.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

The Baltimore Oriole Detours from Fenway to the State Library!

Our 250th road trip continues this month as we head to another colonial state; we're going south to Maryland, with the Baltimore Oriole! Just like the city, this bird is named after Lord Baltimore, Maryland's first proprietor, since its plumage was reminiscent of the colors in Lord Baltimore's coat-of-arms. And as you likely know, the city of Baltimore's baseball team has also adopted it as their name and mascot.

In the print, the male is shown with bright orange and black feathers, while the female is a more subdued brown. But the female is perched on another interesting feature in this print, the inclusion of the nest. Oriole nests are distinctive and impressive! They are hanging pouches, woven by female orioles and designed to hold seven to eight eggs. You can read more about them on the Audubon Society website. Also note the flowering blooms of the tulip tree. 

The Baltimore Oriole was on display last year during Women's History Month, with an interesting connection to a female artist and ornithologist sometimes referred to as "the other Audubon." Check that post out here, and visit us through August 11 to see the oriole on display! Since it has already been on display, after this exhibition, it will return to storage for the foreseeable future.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

A Double-Duty State Bird

Our next state bird deserves extra credit! Within the thirteen original colonies, the cardinal is the state bird of both Virginia and North Carolina. In fact, this popular bird is the state bird of five other states, too - Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The North Carolina State Assembly established the Northern Cardinal as its state bird in 1943, and seven years later, Virginia did the same on January 25, 1950.

Even though the cardinal is not our state bird, you can still spot them around Massachusetts. They are year-round residents, found from Cape Cod to Western Mass.

In this print, Audubon depicted the Cardinal Grosbeak (plate 159), with the vibrant male shown above and the more subdued female below. Both are shown in the branches of the wild almond tree. The cardinal was previously on display in January 2025, so after it is displayed for just three weeks this month, it will return to storage for the foreseeable future. Visit us from June 9 through June 30 for your chance to see it now.

We are also excited to share that as a special treat, the Bird of Washington will be on limited display from June 30 through July 14, in celebration of the country's 250th birthday!

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

Wrens Alight and Delight in the Library!

We're heading south this month, as we continue to commemorate the thirteen original colonies by displaying their state bird in our Audubon case. This month's print depicts the Great Carolina Wren (plate 78), which is South Carolina's state bird. But despite its name, the Carolina Wren has a large range and can be seen up and down the east coast.

Milder winters have contributed to the Carolina Wren venturing further north, and now you can spot these petite brown birds with a white stripe in both suburban landscapes and wilderness thickets here in Massachusetts. Read more and hear their call on the Mass Audubon website. And look closely at the wren at the top of this print, he looks like he is caught mid-call! 

We all know that "April showers bring May flowers" so in keeping with that theme for this month, this print was also selected for display because the Carolina Wren is shown in the vibrant flowering branches of the dwarf red buckeye (Aesculus pavia). Unfortunately, this shrub is native to the southern and eastern part of the country, so we aren't likely to see it here in Massachusetts. All the more reason to visit the library from May 12 through June 9 to see this print on display!

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

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