Our Feathered Friends
These stories were written by the children at
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Our Feathered Friends
These stories were written by the children at
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Introduction Chattanooga is the Scenic City of the south and we have many birds that live here year round and visit on their migration south. The state bird of Tennessee is the Mockingbird. Because Tennessee has many states on its borders, we decided to look at the state birds of those states on Tennessee’s borders.
Mrs. Harper's students conducted research this week using the http://www.50states.com/bird and http://www.enchantedlearning.com resources. |
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The Mockingbird |
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The Mockingbird is the State Bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
In winter, nearly all the Mocking-birds approach the farmhouses and plantations, living about the gardens or outbuildings. They are then frequently seen on the roofs, and perched on the chimney-tops; yet they always appear full of animation. While searching for food on the ground, their motions are light and elegant, and they frequently open their wings as butterflies do when basking in the sun, moving a step or two, and again throwing out their wings. When the weather is mild, the old males are heard singing with as much spirit as during the spring or summer, while the younger birds are busily engaged in practicing, preparatory to the love season. They seldom resort to the interior of the forest either during the day or by night, but usually roost among the foliage of evergreens, in the immediate vicinity of houses in Louisiana, although in the Eastern States they prefer low fir trees. Because they make their nests on fence posts near highways, snakes and cats attack their nests. William |
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The Robin |
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The state bird of Connecticut is the Robin.
The robin is usually the first bird to return home from its winter migration south. The robin sighting indicates that spring is just around the corner. The robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This bird can be seen from Louisiana to Canada and all along the eastern seaboard. They eat berries and fruits. In spring they like to eat grubs, insects, and worms. They like freshly planted corn seed also. Their nest is large and well secured. It is composed of dry leaves, grass, and moss, which are connected internally with a thick layer of mud and roots, lined with pieces of straw and fine grass, and occasionally a few feathers. The eggs are from four to six, of a beautiful bluish-green, without spots. Two broods are usually raised in a season. Antouan |
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The Woodpecker |
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This bird is very common in
Tennessee in addition to the Robin and Mockingbird. We also have
Cardinals, Bluejays, and Chicadees. This website provides information
about the Downy Woodpecker. Dineisha http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/birds/printouts/Downywoodpeckerprintout.shtml |
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The Great Carolina Wren |
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The Great Carolina Wren is the state bird of South Carolina. The flight of this bird is performed by short flappings of the wings, the concave under surfaces of which occasion a low rustling, as it moves to the distance of a few steps only at each start. It is accompanied by violent jerks of the tail and body, and is by no means graceful. In this manner the Carolina Wren moves from one fence-rail to another, from log to log, up and down among the low branches of bushes piles of wood, and decayed roots of prostrate trees, or between the stalks of canes. Its tail is almost constantly erect, and before it starts to make the least flight or leap, it uses a quick motion, which brings its body almost into contact with the object on which it stands, and then springs from its legs. All this is accompanied with a strong chirr-up, uttered as if the bird were in an angry mood, and repeated at short intervals. The nest of the Carolina Wren is usually placed in a hole in some low decayed tree, or in a fence-stake, sometimes even in the stable, barn, or garage. The nest is made up of hay, grasses, leaves, feathers, and horse-hair, or the dry fibers of the Spanish moss; the feathers, hair or moss forming, the lining, the coarse materials the outer parts. The number of eggs is from five to eight. They are of a broad oval form, greyish-white, sprinkled with reddish-brown. They usually raise two, sometimes three broods in a season. Jebril and Deonte |
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THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK |
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State Bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia
Diamond and Andrea selected the state bird of Kentucky. Angel and Imari selected the state bird of Virginia. They discovered that their bird was the same. This bird has rich plumage, elegance of motion, and strength of song. This species surpasses all of its kindred in the U.S. It is known by the names of Red-bird, Virginia Nightingale, Cardinal-bird, and that at the head of the present article. It is very abundant in all our Southern States, as well as in the peninsula of Florida. In the western country a great number are found as far up on the Ohio as the city of Cincinnati, and they extend to considerable distances into Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. They are found in the maritime districts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where they breed, and where a few remain the whole year; some are also seen in the State of New York, and now and then a straggler proceeds into Massachusetts; but farther eastward this species has never been observed. This song bird lives in the interior of the forest, and the heart of the deepest cane-brakes or retired swamps, as well as the neighborhood of cities. It is constantly found in our fields, orchards and gardens. Their nest can be found in low briar, bush, or tree, often near the fence, the middle of a field, or the interior of a thicket, not far from a cooling stream, to which they are fond of resorting, for the purpose of drinking and bathing. It is composed of dry leaves and twigs, together with a large proportion of dry grass and slips of grapevines, and is finished within with bent grass, wrought in a circular form. The eggs are from four to six, of a dull white color, marked all over with touches of olive-brown. In the South they can raise three broods in the season, but in the Middle States seldom more than one. |
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The Mockingbird |
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| Constance chose the state bird of Mississippi. The mockingbird is also the state bird of Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida. The mockingbird is plentiful near seashores. They are naturally fond of loose sands, and areas with small trees, or patches of briars, and low bushes. | |
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The Chickadee |
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Timothy likes the Chickadee. It is the state bird of Maine and Massachusetts. The Chickadee is very commonly found in Tennessee. It resembles the Carolina titmouse that extends from the Carolinas to New Jersey. This bird can be found in the woods of Maine and Massachusetts. |
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The Brown Thrasher (Mockingbird) |
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The state bird of Georgia is the Brown Thrasher (Mockingbird) The Brown Thrush, or Thrasher, as this bird is generally known, is a constant resident in the United States, as immense numbers are found all the year round in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Some spend the winter in Virginia and Maryland. During spring and summer they are found in all our Eastern States. They also enter the British provinces, and are sometimes seen in Nova Scotia. It is the most numerous species found in the U.S., except the Robin or Migratory Thrush. It likes to eat insects, worms, berries, and fruits of all sorts. It is fond of figs, and ripe pears. In winter, they resort to the berries of the dogwood, the sumach, and holly, and go to the tops of the tallest trees in search of grapes. Cornelius |
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The Golden-Winged Woodpecker or Yellowhammer. |
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The state bird of Alabama is the Golden-Winged Woodpecker or Yellowhammer. Interestingly, there is also a folktale called the Yellowhammer. Some interesting facts she found about this bird are that they are very animated when pursuing a female. They live in woods and are interesting to watch. The bird moves sidewise on a small branch, keeping itself as erect as other birds usually do; but with equal ease it climbs by leaps along the trunks of trees or their branches, descends, and moves sidewise or spirally, keeping at all times its head upwards, and its tail pressed against the bark as a support. On the ground it hops with great ease. It likes to eat beetles, caterpillars, grains of corn and it likes to examine the dead roots of trees, or the side of a log where it gets ants and other small insects. It also likes fruits and berries. Apples, grapes, persimmons and dogwood berries are its favorites. It also likes pokeberries and huckleberries. Shaquillra |
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The Common Blue-Bird |
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The common Blue-Bird is the state bird of Missouri and New York.
This bird is well known throughout the United States and is very commonly found in Tennessee and many other Southern states throughout the year. It likes orchards and gardens, and can be seen crossing the fields or meadows, or hopping along by the roadside. This bird has its own birdhouse. The little box made for it and it returns to it even during the winter. Many people like to watch the Bluebird and listen to its songs. The male bluebird will torment cats, Wrens, Martins, and other birds. The eggs are from four to six, of a pale blue color. Two and often three broods are raised in the year. While the female sits on the second set of eggs, the male takes charge of the first brood. It likes to eat coleoptera, caterpillars, spiders, and insects of various kinds. They are also fond of ripe fruits, such as figs, persimmons, and grapes. In Autumn they eat grasshoppers. Kevin |
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Alabama - Alaska - Arizona - Arkansas - California - Colorado - Connecticut - Delaware - Florida - Georgia - Hawaii - Idaho - Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Kansas - Kentucky - Louisiana - Maine - Maryland - Massachusetts - Michigan - Minnesota - Mississippi - Missouri - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - New Hampshire - New Jersey - New Mexico - New York - North Carolina - North Dakota - Ohio - Oklahoma - Oregon - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - South Carolina - South Dakota - Tennessee - Texas - Utah - Vermont - Virginia - Washington - West Virginia - Wisconsin - |
Yellowhammer Willow Ptarmigan Cactus Wren Mockingbird California Valley Quail Lark Bunting Robin Blue Hen Chicken Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Nene Mountain Bluebird Cardinal Cardinal Eastern Goldfinch Western Meadowlark Cardinal Eastern Brown Pelican Chickadee Baltimore Oriole Chickadee Robin Common Loon Mockingbird Bluebird Western Meadowlark Western Meadowlark Mountain Bluebird Purple Finch Eastern Goldfinch Roadrunner Bluebird Cardinal Western Meadowlark Cardinal Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Western Meadowlark Ruffed Grouse Rhode Island Red Great Carolina Wren Ring-necked Pheasant Mockingbird Mockingbird California Seagull Hermit Thrush Cardinal Willow Goldfinch Cardinal Robin |
