Rhode Island red rooster; photo by Paul Williams on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution).
Official State Bird of Rhode Island
The Rhode Island red chicken was designated the official state bird of Rhode Island in 1954. All State Birds
The Rhode Island Red was chosen during an election sponsored by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs, and the Providence Journal Company (other contenders included the osprey and ruby-throated hummingbird).
When the bill was signed into law, then-Governor Dennis J. Roberts stated: "The Rhode Island red has become a symbol of Rhode Islanders all over the world."
