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Kentucky Symbols, State Bird & State Flower
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Bird
Cardinal
(Cardinalis cardinalis)
Adopted in 1926.
The cardinal became the state bird of the Commonwealth during the legislative session in 1926 [KY Acts, Chapter 350, Senate Resolution No. 17; recodified in 1942 (KRS 2.080)].
Kentucky Revised Statutes
2.080 State bird.
The native redbird, commonly known as the Kentucky cardinal (cardinalis), is the official state bird of Kentucky.
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Effective: October 1, 1942
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History: Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 4618n.
The Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a type of finch that can be found in gardens, streamside thickets, mesquite patches, and woodlands throughout the east and southwest sections of the United States.
Kentucky's state bird, the cardinal, is shared by six other states. But Kentucky was the first to adopt it. The northern cardinal is also the state bird for six other states. These are Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The cardinal was named by early American settlers, after Catholic cardinals who dress in bright red robes. These birds are strongly territorial and have a loud, whistling song.
Their distinctive color (scarlet for males, buffy brown and red for females), pronounced crest, heavy bill, and easily recognizable song make cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) some of the most readily identified birds in the state.
Cardinals build their nests in bushes. Their nests are usually about 1.5 meters (4 to 5 ft.) above the ground. The eggs are laid between the middle of April and the middle of August. Cardinals usually lay several clutches of eggs each season. Each clutch consists of between two and five whitish eggs with dark streaks and spots on them.
Cardinals usually feed on the ground or in low bushes. They eat a wide variety of insects, grains, wild fruits, and seeds. They are common birds around bird feeders.
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| Kingdom |
Animalia -- animals |
| Phylum |
Chordata -- chordates |
| Subphylum |
Vertebrata -- vertebrates |
| Class |
Aves -- birds |
| Order |
Passeriformes -- perching birds |
| Family |
Fringillidae -- buntings, finches, grosbeaks, old world finches, sparrows |
| Genus |
Cardinalis Bonaparte, 1838 -- cardinals |
| Species |
Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) -- Cardenal rojo, northern cardinal |
State Flower
Flower by: Santalady
Goldenrod
(Solidago spp.)
Adopted in 1926.
Kentucky Revised Statutes
2.090 State flower.
The goldenrod is the official state flower of Kentucky.
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Effective: October 1, 1942
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History: Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky.
Stat. sec. 4618o.
The golden plumes of this wildflower line Kentucky's roadsides in the fall. Native to all of Kentucky, 30 of nearly 100 species of this herb are found here.
The state flower is the Goldenrod. The Goldenrod is a beautiful and hearty plant is happy to move to a decorative place no other plants want to be. It is often blamed for allergies in Kentucky, but the Goldenrod is actually harmless. The allergic reactions Kentuckians experience are due to the Ragweed which blooms at the same time and grows in the same areas.
The large number of species and variations make this genus very difficult resolve to the species. The Goldenrods as a group are well know and very common turning fallow fields and meadows yellow every fall. Goldenrods are mostly an American genus with the greatest number of species found in the Southeastern U.S.
Plant Type: This is a Native herbaceous plant perennial forb. Ususlly erect and often tall.
Leaves: The leaves are alternate. Most leaves are toothed but a few species have entire leaves.
Flowers: Blooms July-October. The flowers have numerous parts. They are yellow sometimes white. Blooms first appear in mid summer and continue into mid fall. The center and rays are yellow. The rays are few, seldom more than ten. Groups of flowers are often clustered on the top edge of branches near or at the top of the plant.
Habitat: Various
Range: Most all of North America
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| Kingdom |
Plantae -- Plants |
| Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants |
| Superdivision |
Spermatophyta -- Seed plants |
| Division |
Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants |
| Class |
Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons |
| Subclass |
Asteridae – |
| Order |
Asterales – |
| Family |
Asteraceae – Aster family |
| Genus |
Solidago L. – goldenrod |
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National Forests
Daniel Boone National Forest Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area |
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