License plates for educational purposes and enjoyment
Wildlife Safari: In the Air
Bald Eagles
The Bald eagle is featured on multiple specialties, including Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, and Washington.
State Birds
The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of six states; Nebraska featured it on the 2011 base and Montana did so twice, but Kansas, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming have yet to use it. Missouri and New York share the Eastern bluebird. Other states depicted above are Alabama (Yellowhammer), Idaho (Mountain bluebird), Iowa (Eastern goldfinch), Louisiana (Brown pelican), Minnesota (Common loon), Maine (Chickadee), and South Carolina (Carolina wren). Some include the state flower – Idaho (Syringa), Iowa (Wild rose), Maine (White pine cone and tassel), Missouri (Hawthorn), Montana (Bitterroot, on the “Our Montana” plate), Nebraska (Goldenrod), and South Carolina (Yellow jessamine).
State Bird: Northern Cardinal
The Cardinal is the state bird of seven different states. Illinois adopted it firstly (1929), followed by Indiana (1933), Ohio (1933), Kentucky (1942), North Carolina (1943), West Virginia (1949), and Virginia (1950). North Carolina and West Virginia have yet to put the bird on a plate. Note all of the above benefit environmental causes except the Indiana plate (two versions) contributing to the Indiana Homeland Security Foundation, which supports public safety. The cardinal is an…interesting choice. Note that the Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois plates above are successive versions in each case from oldest to newest.
Small Birds
The above specialty plates feature the following feathered friends: Ivory-billed woodpecker (Arkansas), Northern bobcat quail (Georgia), Hummingbird (Kentucky & Mississippi), Kentucky Warbler (Kentucky), Quail (Kentucky), Chickadee (Minnesota), Eastern bluebird (Tennessee), and the Grosbeak (West Virginia).
Large Birds
Maryland has depicted the Great blue heron on all three versions of it’s “Treasure the Chesapeake” plate (two shown above), Pennsylvania the Saw-whet owl, and Iowa the pheasant.
More Birds and Winged Creatures
Alabama’s “Forever Wild,” Montana’s “Bird Habitat,” Nebraska’s sandhill cranes, and Kentucky’s butterflies and dragonflies from the “Nature’s Finest” series rounds out the air-borne wildlife.
