Maine’s state bird will remain the generic “chickadee”

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - The chirping over the Maine state bird is over for now.

The Pine Tree State’s bird will remain the chickadee despite a push for specificity from a gaggle of schoolchildren. Fourth-grade students at Margaret Chase Smith School in Skowhegan brought forth a bill that would have clearly identified which species of chickadee in the state bird.

A legislative committee killed the bird bill with a unanimous vote on Wednesday. The Portland Press Herald reports Nick Lund of Maine Audubon testified in favor of the bill, but it was not enough to sway the committee.

A 92-year-old statute lists the generic “chickadee” as Maine’s state bird. The black-capped chickadee is pictured on the state’s licenses plates, but the boreal chickadee also lives in some parts of the state.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com