Which States Share the Same State Symbols?
You would expect 50 states to have 50 different state birds. They don’t. Only 18 states have a bird no other state uses. The other 32 share, and three birds alone cover 18 states between them. The same thing happens with flowers and trees. Here are the symbols states keep picking twice, three times, and even seven times.
The reason is simple. Most state symbols were chosen because they were familiar. People picked birds they heard every morning, flowers they saw on every roadside, and trees that built their towns. Familiarity beat originality, and that is why the same handful of symbols shows up all over the map.
The cardinal’s 7 states
The northern cardinal is the most shared state bird in America. It is the official bird of seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. No other bird comes close.
The cardinal had a head start. Kentucky adopted it in 1926, and the idea spread through the East and Midwest. It is bright red, it sings all year, and it stays through winter instead of migrating away. For states choosing a bird everyone already knew, the cardinal was the easy answer.
The meadowlark’s 6 and the mockingbird’s 5
Second place goes to the western meadowlark, the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. Its yellow chest and flute-like song made it the sound of the Plains and the West.
Third is the northern mockingbird, with five states: Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. It copies other birds’ songs, which made it famous across the South. After that comes the American goldfinch, shared by three states: Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington.
Learn just those four birds and you already know the state bird of 21 states. That is the fastest shortcut in state symbols.
Flowers repeat too
The violet is the most shared state flower, claimed by four states: Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. After that, several flowers are shared by two states each. Arkansas and Michigan both chose the apple blossom. Louisiana and Mississippi both chose the magnolia. Kentucky and Nebraska both chose goldenrod. Iowa and North Dakota both chose the wild rose. Connecticut and Pennsylvania both chose mountain laurel.
So when a quiz asks for a state flower, never assume one flower means one state. The violet alone could be four different answers.
Trees repeat too
The sugar maple is the most shared state tree, official in four states: New York, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Next come the trees shared by three states each. Connecticut, Illinois, and Maryland all chose the white oak. Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming all chose cottonwood. Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee all chose the tulip poplar.
Shared by two states each are the eastern white pine in Maine and Michigan, and the American elm in Massachusetts and North Dakota.
One symbol, two jobs
The flowering dogwood is the strangest case of all. It is the state flower of North Carolina, the state tree of Missouri, and both the state flower and the state tree of Virginia. One species, three states, two different jobs.
That is the trap to remember. A symbol is not tied to one category. If a quiz asks for Virginia’s tree and you answer dogwood, you are right. If it asks for Virginia’s flower and you answer dogwood, you are also right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state bird is shared by the most states?
The northern cardinal, with seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Which states have the western meadowlark as their state bird?
Six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.
Do any states share the same state flower?
Yes. The violet is shared by four states: Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
Do any states share the same state tree?
Yes. The sugar maple is shared by four states: New York, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
How many states have a unique state bird?
Only 18 of the 50 states. The other 32 share their state bird with at least one other state.
Shared symbols are the reason state quizzes feel tricky. One bird can be seven answers, one flower four, and one tree both a flower and a tree. Learn the shared groups first and the rest of the map gets much easier. For more state games, visit the us states quiz homepage.
