My 4-year-old grandson was visiting us from New York City recently, and we got to talking about birds.
I have cocktail napkins illustrated with an American goldfinch. As I showed one to my grandson, I noted that it is the state bird of New Jersey.
“What is the state bird of New York?” I asked.
My grandson thought for a moment, a puzzled look on his face, then brightened and blurted, “Pigeon!”
We both laughed convulsively, and when I stopped shaking I turned to Google for the correct answer.
Pigeons could certainly make a claim to the honor in the Empire State, as flocks of them swarm many blocks of Manhattan.
But, no, the state bird of New York is the Eastern blue bird.
I’ve only birded casually in New York City, mainly in Central Park. It’s almost impossible to walk in the Big Apple without encountering a rock dove (or 200).
As for bluebirds, I’d love to see one in the big city, but I figure I’m much more likely to find one in the rural parts of the state.
As many times as I’ve seen pigeons in New York, I can’t find any photos that I’ve taken of them. That’s why there’s a freebie at the top of this post from the Pexels package WordPress offers its users.
While I’m not as big a fan of pigeons as Bert is on Sesame Street, I do hope to snap a few photos of them one of these days. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 