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Official Bird and Avifaunal Emblem

California Valley Quail Lophortyx californica Adopted:June 12, 1931
California Valley Quail
California Valley Quail (Lophortyx californica)

Adoption of the Official Bird and Avifaunal Emblem

It was the Audubon Society that selected the valley quail as an appropriate symbol of California and recommended its official adoption to the California Legislature. It was Assembly members Eleanore Miller and Charles W. Fisher who brought the legislation to the California Legislature.

On January 21, 1931, Assembley Bill No. 776 (AB 776), was introduced and read for the first time in the California General Assembly. AB 776 proposed that the California Valley Quail be adopted by the State as "the official bird and avifaunal emblem of the State of California".

On April 10, 1931, less than three months after it was first read, AB 776 was passed by the Assembly and sent on to the Senate for approval. The Senate moved rapidly as well and on May 12, 1931 concurred with the Assembly on AB 776. It was forwarded to Governor James Rolph, Jr. for his approval on May 15, 1931 at 11:00 A.M.

A month later, on June 12, 1931, Governor James Rolph, Jr. signed Assembly Bill No. 776. The bill would take effect on August 14 of the same year.

CHAPTER 777.

An act to adopt the California valley quail as the official state bird and avifaunal emblem of this state.

[Approved by the Governor on June 12. 1931. In effect August 14, 1931.]

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

Section 1. The California valley quail (Lophortyx californica) is hereby designated and adopted as the official bird and avifaunal emblem of the State of California.

California Law

The following information is excerpted from the California Codes, Government Code, Title 1, Division 2, Chapter 2.

Additional Information

Callipepla californica (California Quail): University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web.

State Bird List: List of all of the state birds.

Wild Birds of California: by David Lukas. California is a great place for wild birds and the people who enjoy watching them. Over 600 bird species--about two-thirds of the birds found in North America--inhabit, migrate, or visit here, especially the varied habitats protected within California's parks, forests, preserves, parks, and wildlife areas.

Bird Feeders and Accessories: Backyard Birding > Bird Feeders & Accessories from Amazon.com.

State Birds & Flowers 1000-pc Puzzle: Created at the request of The National Wildlife Federation this design is a beautiful and informative puzzle featuring every state bird perched on the appropriate state flower.

State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002

State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols: A Study based on historical documents giving the origin and significance of the state names, nicknames, mottoes, seals, flowers, birds, songs, and descriptive comments on the capitol buildings and on some of the leading state histories, Revised Edition - George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., The H.W. Wilson Company, 1938 (Reprint Services Corp. 1971)


Source: The California Codes, (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=gov), April 6, 2005
Source: State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide, Third Edition - Benjamin F. Shearer and Barbara S. Shearer, Greenwood Press, 2002
Source: State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and Other Symbols: Revised Edition (Reprint)- George Earlie Shankle, Ph.D., The H.W. Wilson Company, 1938

To Arkansas State Bird. To Colorado State Bird.

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