And the winner is: NORTHERN CARDINAL!
The northern cardinal is the state bird of seven U.S. states, more than any other species: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Thanks to everyone who voted in this double-bracket! It was fun hearing people’s thoughts on particular birds as we worked through it. Here are the top 20 birds based on votes (remember that they were grouped in divisions of similar-ish birds, so it’s not a complete, overall ranking).
- Northern Cardinal
- Bald Eagle
- Common Loon
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Mallard
- Great Blue Heron
- White-Breasted Nuthatch
- Red-Winged Blackbird
- Snowy Owl
- Mute Swan
- Purple Finch
- Wood Duck
- Yellow-Throated Warbler
- American Robin
- American Goldfinch
- Belted Kingfisher
- Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
- Barn Swallow
- Mourning Dove
- Black-Capped Chickadee
Next week we will begin voting on our Favorite Monty Python Sketches!
