The American robin stands alone as the state bird of Connecticut — except in the month of March, thanks to an amendment passed during a late Tuesday night session in the state’s Senate.
Now, at least in March, the robin will be joined by two new birds … sort of. The amendment in question honors state basketball heroes Jordan Hawkins and Sue Bird.
In addition to having avian-friendly names, both Hawkins and Bird have provided major contributions to UConn men’s and women’s basketball in a state that calls itself the “Basketball Capital of the World.”
“The American robin, Turdus migratorius, shall be the state bird, provided in the month of March of each year, the American robin, Jordan Hawkins, and Suzanne Brigit Bird, also known as Sue Bird, shall be the state birds,” the amendment reads.
Hawkins, now a guard for the New Orleans Pelicans, played two seasons in Storrs, including a sophomore campaign that saw him average 16.2 points per game for a Huskies squad that won the program’s fifth national championship. Bird — a legend of the women’s game — won a pair of national titles as part of an impressive career at UConn, with the second capping off an unbeaten senior season in which she won the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year award.
Should the amendment be made law, the American robin will have another 10 months to reign supreme as Connecticut’s state bird — and then, come March, it will have company.
