Oregon State Symbols

The Western Meadowlark and the Oregon Grape

17 Apr 2015 | From Janis of USA

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Nicknamed the 'Beaver State', it is one of only three states of the contiguous United States to have a coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Oregon is the ninth largest U.S. state. The capital of Oregon is Salem, and its largest city is Portland.

The Western Meadowlark was chosen as Oregon's state bird by Oregon's school children, who were polled by the Oregon Audubon Society in 1927. It is a medium-sized icterid bird. It nests on the ground in open country in western and central North America grassland. It feeds mostly on insects, but also seeds and berries.

The Oregon Grape was designated as Oregon's state flower by the Oregon Legislature in 1899. It is an evergreen shrub growing to 1 m (3 ft) tall by 1.5 m (5 ft) wide, with pinnate leaves consisting of spiny leaflets, and dense clusters of yellow flowers in early spring, followed by dark bluish-black berries.