Since I am currently unable to do much hiking, because of a recent accident, I thought it would be cool to do a small series of posts about West Virginia State flowers, animals and so forth.

The Cardinal was made West Virginia’s official bird by concurrent resolution of the 1949 Legislature. The male of the species is a rich scarlet with a mask and shading of black, while the young birds and females are a less brilliant color. The cardinal measures approximately eight inches long and is found from New York state to the Gulf of Mexico and as far west as Oklahoma. Its scientific name is Cardinalis cardinalis.Adopted by House Concurrent Resolution No. 12, on March 7, 1949