Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS STATE BIRD BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE The black-capped chickadee was designated the state bird of Massachusetts in A minuscule, cheerfully sociable bird, the energetic black-capped chickadee does not migrate- witch leads to allowing us to enjoy them all year long. The black-capped chickadee is a member of the titmouse family.

MASSACHUSETTS STATE CAT TABBY CAT A tabby is not a breed of cat but a pattern of the cat's fur coloring. Tabby cats have distinctive stripes that occur naturally in many breeds of cat (a feature of the domestic cat's distant ancestor, the African wildcat). The tabby cat stripes often form an "M" shape above the eyebrows as in the cat below:

MASSACHUSETTS STATE HORSE MORGAN HORSE The beautiful Morgan Horse was adopted as the state horse of Massachusetts in Morgan's are descendants of "Figure," a sturdy little bay stallion owned by schoolteacher and singing master Justin Morgan of West Springfield, Massachusetts. Born in 1789, and later known by his master's name - Justin Morgan - this horse outran and outworked any horse that was brought against him. In 1821 the gallant little horse died at the age of 32.

MASSACHUSETTS STATE CHILDREN'S – AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR THEODOR GEISEL (DR. SEUSS) Massachusetts recognized Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel) as official state children's author and illustrator in The beloved Dr. Seuss filled his pages with tongue-twisters, inventive word play, and imaginative characters like Grinch's, bunches of Hunches, and a fox in socks. Dr. Seuss is credited as the originator of the word nerd, first used in his 1950 book, "If I Ran the Zoo.” Dr. Seuss's works have provided the source for eleven children's television specials, a Broadway musical, and a feature-length motion picture. Honors to Theodor Geisel include two Academy awards, two Emmy awards, a Peabody award, and the Pulitzer Prize.

MASSACHUSETTS STATE DOG BOSTON TERRIER The Boston Terrier was recognized by the Massachusetts legislature as official state dog in A cross between an English bulldog and an English terrier, the Boston terrier was the first "purebred" dog developed in America (1869).

MASSACHUSETTS STATE BEVERAGE CRANBERRY JUICE Cranberry juice was named the state beverage of Massachusetts in 1970 as a tribute to the great Massachusetts cranberry industry. The cranberry (also the official state berry of Massachusetts ) is in the same family as the blueberry both are native North American fruits introduced to settlers by the American Indians. Cranberry juice was first made by colonists in 1683, but not produced commercially until 1930.

MASSACHUSETTS STATE DONUT BOSTON CREAM DONUT The Boston cream donut was designated the official donut of Massachusetts in 2003 (Boston cream pie was adopted as the state desert in 1996).

MASSACHUSETTS STATE BUG LADYBUG The ladybug was adopted as the official state bug or insect symbol of Massachusetts thanks to a campaign that began in 1974 by a second-grade class in the town of Franklin.

MASSACHUSETTS STATE GAME BIRD The wild turkey was designated the official state game bird of Massachusetts in A true native American, the eastern wild turkey is the largest and most widely distributed of the six recognized subspecies of wild turkey in North America. The male can grow up to four feet tall and weigh well over 20 pounds. Hens may be almost as tall but usually weigh no more than pounds. The wild turkey is also an official state symbol of Massachusetts, Alabama, and South Carolina.