Arizona Cactus Wren The cactus wren has a unique way to stay safe from snakes coyotes and other predators It lives in a thorny home a cactus Arizona’s deserts are fi lled with cacti where the bird makes its ball-shaped nests This large wren goes to the ground to search for insects fruit and seeds Sometimes it even fi nds small lizards to eat Scientifi c Name Campylorhrnchus brunneicapillus Length 7 8 5 inches 18 22 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1931 6
Arkansas Mockingbird The mockingbird is known for its original singing style Its complex songs include imitations of different sounds You might hear a siren dog barks or another bird’s song coming from a mockingbird It lives by the forest and in open areas where it fi nds berries and insects to eat This bird is a popular choice for a state symbol It’s also the state bird of Florida Mississippi Tennessee and Texas See Florida p 12 Mississippi p 25 Tennessee p 39 and Texas p 40 Scientifi c Name Mimus polyglottos Length 8 5 10 inches 22 25 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1929 7
California California Quail Along North America’s western coast lives the California quail This plump and small bird has a droopy black plume on its head It lives in large fl ocks of around 50 to 75 birds When not fl ying it spends much of its time on the ground There it looks for seeds plants and insects to eat It lives in grasslands where it can hide from harm in shrubs Even though it has short legs this bird can run fast If a predator is near it will burst into fl ight with rapidly beating wings Scientifi c Name Callipepla californica Length 9 11 inches 23 28 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1931 8
Colorado Lark Bunting Even though Colorado is known for its beautiful mountains the lark bunting is a prairie bird It is a kind of sparrow a small bird with a short beak With it this bird pecks at the ground for seeds and insects to eat The lark bunting migrates to Colorado for the spring and summer months Flocks arrive in April and head back south in September The males are the only sparrows that change color They turn from gray-brown to a striking black and white in the summer Scientifi c Name Calamospiza melanocorys Length 7 inches 18 centimeters Year Made State Bird 1931 9
