[TN-Bird] Some Mockingbird History in TN
- From: "William T. Thornton" <wtthornton@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 10:46:05 -0600
I thought this interesting -- it is copied from
http://www.geobop.com/Symbols/Animals/Birds/1/Mockingbird/
"There remain only five states that have as yet not joined in the selection
of a State bird. These are Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, and
Tennessee." So wrote state bird proponent Katherine B. Tippetts in Nature
Magazine in 1932.
Tippetts though the painted bunting, or nonpareil, would make an appropriate
Tennessee mascot. Though her favorite wasn't adopted, Tippetts' article may
have spurred Tennessee bird lovers into action.
The Tennessee Ornithological Society planned a state-wide balloting for the
selection of an official state bird. Beginning on March 15, 1933, the Nashville
Banner began printing a series of articles on fifteen candidates, including the
mockingbird, robin, wood thrush, bluebird, flicker, pileated woodpecker, brown
thrasher, field sparrow, cardinal, Bewick's wren, towhee, sparrow hawk,
chickadee, and bobwhite.
Tennesseans adopted the first and last candidates! According to the
Nashville Banner of April 16, 1933, the Mockingbird was selected on April 11.
Of the 72,031 votes cast, the mockingbird received 15,553, the robin 15,073,
the cardinal 13,969, the bobwhite 10,460, the bluebird 9,125, and others 8,751.
The robin was actually ahead, until votes from the Memphis area (Shelby County)
began coming in.
The mockingbird officially became the state bird on April 22, 1933, the same
day the iris became the state flower.
The bobwhite quail was adopted as Tennessee's official state game bird in
1988."
Terry Thornton, RInnie, TN (Just north of Crossville on the Cumberland Plateau)
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