National Bird Day: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

U.S. President Barack Obama pardons a turkey as part of an annual Thanksgiving tradition. (Getty)

January 5 is National Bird Day, a holiday celebrated in the United States. Birds are a symbol of national pride almost everywhere around the world, and can be as powerful as a flag or anthem for citizens in some areas. National Bird Day was established by bird activists. It calls upon people to recognize the plight of captive birds, and also draws attention to the exploitation of birds in the pet industry.

According to Birdlife.org:

National birds are flagships for shared values, a sense of pride in the bird with which we share our country, which typifies the country, and which we therefore have a duty to protect.

While some nations have not made the step quite yet of selecting a national bird, a great many have. Here are five facts you need to know regarding various national and official birds on National Bird Day 2016:

1. In the U.S., The Northern Cardinal Is the Most Common State ‘Official Bird‘

The Northern Cardinal is an official state bird in seven states. (Getty)

While many people recognize the Bald Eagle as the national bird of the USA, individual states states also value several birds individually. The Northern Cardinal and Northern Mockingbird are two of the most widely recognized birds in the country; they are the “official birds” of no twelve states between them. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia call the Northern Cardinal their official bird, while Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas claim the Northern Mockingbird.

Also common is Western Meadowlark, which is the official bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon and Wyoming. The American Robin is the choice for Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin, while the American Goldfinch lays claim for Iowa, New Jersey and Washington.

2. Canada’s National Bird Is the Common Loon

The loon fancies seacoasts as its habitat. (Getty)

Canada claims the the Common Loon as its national bird. In the summer, adult loons are patterned in black and white. In winter, they are plain gray above, and white below. One can typically find them close to shore on most seacoasts, sometimes in inland reservoirs and lakes. Common Loons are proficient divers that catch small fish in fast underwater chases. They typically come ashore only to nest.

Similar to its neighbor to the south, each of Canada’s states has its own bird. For Alberta, the Great Horned Owl is the choice, while Steller’s Jay is the official bird of British Columbia. In Manitoba, it’s the Great Grey Owl, the Black-capped Chickadee for New Brunswick and the Atlantic Puffin for Newfoundland. Ontario claims the Common Loon as its official bird, in addition to its national bird distinction.

3. India Claims the Blue Peafowl as Its Official Bird

India, like much of Asia, has a species of pheasant as its national bird; the Blue Peafowl takes this distinction. The Blue Peafowl is native to India and Sri Lanka, inhabiting dry semi-desert grasslands, scrub and forests. The male is commonly referred to as a peacock and the female as a peahen. According to BeautyOfBirds.com:

The peacock has beautiful and eye-catching blue-green plumage. The upper tail coverts are enormously elongated and ornate with an eye at the end of each feather.

The female plumage is a mixture of dull green, grey and iridescent blue, with the greenish-grey predominating. In the breeding season, females can be told apart from the lack of the long tail feathers also known as the train. Hens can be distinguished from males in the non-breeding season by the green color of the neck as opposed to the blue on the males.

Peafowl are most notable for the male’s extravagant tail, also called a train. This trait is the result of sexual selection and the peacock displays it during courtship.

4. The European Robin Is the National Bird of the United Kingdom

The robin is a mostly resident songbird. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

The European Robin, the United Kingdom’s official bird, are distinctive songbirds. They have a brown head and back, an orange or red breast, a pale belly, long legs and a short tail. They are commonly sighed in the woodland, parks and gardens and are territorial. They are also often called chats.

British Robins are largely resident birds, but a small minority of females sometimes migrate to southern Europe during the winter. The males generally keep the same territory throughout the year. They have a “fluting, warbling song” in the breeding season, leading some to confuse them with the Nightingale.

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5. The Emu Is Australia’s National Bird

The Emu is the second largest bird in the world. (Getty)

The Emu belongs to a group of flightless running birds known as ratites. The ratities are considered the most primitive of modern bird families. The ratite family includes the Kiwi, Ostrich, Cassowary, and Rhea, all of which are found only in the Southern Hemisphere. The Emu is the second-largest living bird in the world, with the Ostrich being the largest.

Adult female Emus are larger and heavier than the males. An Emu’s tail feathers are stiff, so that the bird can rattle them to scare off predators. Emu eggs are large; one emu egg has the same weight and volume as 10 to 12 chicken eggs.