Does Florida need a new state bird? At least one lawmaker thinks so

ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida State Senator has launched an online campaign to change Florida’s official state bird.

St. Petersburg Republican Senator Jeff Brandes has introduced a bill for the 2022 legislative session that would rescind the mockingbird as the avian representative of the state of Florida.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

READ: California woman finds 4.38-carat diamond at Arkansas state park

The proposed bill doesn’t suggest an alternative.

Sen. Brandes has taken to twitter to campaign on behalf of the change.

Brandes says Florida should have a state bird more representative of the area, rather than one that’s already shared by four other states.

Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas have all also designated the northern mockingbird as their state bird.

READ: 50 years of magic: Walt Disney World kicks off 50th anniversary celebration

While the bill to rescind the mockingbird doesn’t offer any alternatives, Brandes has tweeted a number of suggestions, including the ibis, scrub-jay, flamingo, and Osceola turkey, each of which Brandes says would represent Florida better.

“Florida is rich with incredible seabirds and upland foul,” Brandes tweeted. “We should have a state bird that immediately says Florida.”

The common mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) has been designated as the state bird of Florida since 1927.

The scientific name translates to “mimic of many tongues,” as the mockingbird is best known for mimicking the calls of other birds, but they’re also capable of copying the sounds of other creatures.

READ: Florida kids to receive over $1B in school lunch relief

Brandes’ effort isn’t the first time a Florida lawmaker has tried to kill the mockingbird as the state’s representative.

Bills were filed in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2016 to make the scrub jay- found only in Florida- the state bird, but each bill failed.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Cox Media Group