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Bill proposed to decide Maine's official state bird

The chickadee was designated as the state bird in 1927, but there are two types of chickadees found in Maine.
Credit: AP

Maine lawmakers are split over which chickadee should be named the official state bird.

The chickadee was designated as the state bird in 1927, but there are two types of chickadees found in Maine.

The boreal chickadee is native to northern Maine, and the black-capped chickadee is native to southern Maine.

State Rep. Betty Austin has submitted a bill to settle which is the official bird once and for all.

Nick Lund with the Maine Audubon says there are differences between the two birds.

The black-capped chickadee has a signature song, while the boreal does not. The black-capped is also already on state license plates.

The Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government will review the bill in the coming weeks.

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