Indiana's official state bird is the Northern Cardinal, not "Larry." The name Larry is not an official title, a scientific term, or an alternative designation of any kind. Indiana Code § 1-2-8-1 specifically designates the bird "commonly known as the Red Bird or Cardinal" (Richmondena Cardinalis Cardinalis) as the state bird, and it has held that status since 1933. If you searched "the state bird of Indiana is Larry," you've run into a social media meme, not a fact.
The State Bird of Indiana Is Larry? Official Answer
Marcus Webb
23 May 2026
Where "Larry" Actually Comes From
The "Larry" label is a running joke that circulates on Reddit and other social platforms, where users post things like "the real state bird of Indiana is Larry" alongside a photo of a cardinal. It's the internet doing what the internet does: giving a goofy name to something mundane and letting it spread until people genuinely aren't sure if it's real. It is not real. There is no official document, statute, or government source that uses the name Larry to describe Indiana's state bird. It's a meme, full stop.
How to Verify Indiana's Official State Bird
If you want to confirm the official designation yourself, you have several solid authoritative sources to check. Each one points to the same answer.
- Indiana Code § 1-2-8-1: This is the actual statute. It reads that the General Assembly "adopt[s] and designate[s]" the cardinal as the official state bird, tracing back to Acts 1933, Chapter 223, Section 1. You can find it on the Indiana General Assembly's official website.
- IN.gov State FAQ: Indiana's official government FAQ page states plainly: "The Indiana State Bird is commonly known as the Red Bird or Cardinal." It's one of the cleanest, most direct confirmations available.
- Indiana Governor's Office State Symbols page: The Governor's Office lists the cardinal as the state bird and notes it was adopted by the 1933 Indiana General Assembly.
- Indiana DNR Fish and Wildlife: The Department of Natural Resources profiles the Northern Cardinal as Indiana's official state bird, including identification details and habitat information.
Between the statute, the state FAQ, the Governor's Office, and the DNR, there is zero ambiguity. The cardinal is the answer, and it has been since 1933.
How to Recognize the Northern Cardinal in the Wild
The Northern Cardinal is one of the easiest birds in Indiana to identify, which is part of why it became such a beloved state symbol. Once you know what to look for, you won't mix it up with anything else.
Key Field Marks
- Adult males are a brilliant, all-over red with a distinctive black mask that wraps around the bill and chin.
- Both sexes have a prominent pointed crest on top of the head, which is the single easiest feature to spot at a distance.
- The bill is short and very thick, almost conical, well-suited for cracking seeds.
- Females are a warm buffy-brown with reddish tinges on the crest, wings, and tail. Softer in color but the same crest and bill shape.
- It's a fairly large songbird with a long tail, noticeably bigger than a sparrow.
Indiana DNR makes a useful point: the Northern Cardinal is the only red bird with a crest in the United States. If you see a crested red bird in Indiana, that's your cardinal. No other species matches that combination.
Where to Find Them in Indiana
Cardinals are year-round residents in Indiana, so you don't need to time a trip to see one. They prefer dense thickets, shrubs, and saplings no more than about 10 feet high for nesting, typically in open woodland edges. Day-to-day, you'll most often spot them along hedgerows, wood margins, roadsides, and at backyard feeders. They're not shy birds, and males in particular are conspicuous in all seasons, especially against winter snow.
Why Indiana Chose the Cardinal in 1933
The Indiana General Assembly officially adopted the cardinal as the state bird in 1933, during a period when many states were formalizing their official symbols. The cardinal was a practical and popular choice for several reasons. It's a permanent resident, meaning it stays in Indiana through all four seasons rather than migrating south for winter. That year-round presence made it a familiar, recognizable symbol to Indianans across the state. The male's vivid red plumage also made it visually distinctive and memorable, a quality that translates well to any state symbol. The combination of availability, recognizability, and visual impact made it an easy choice for the General Assembly.
Indiana Isn't Alone: Other States That Chose the Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is actually one of the most popular state birds in the country. According to Britannica's compiled list of U.S. state birds, seven states have designated the Northern Cardinal as their official state bird. Indiana is in good company.
| State | Year Adopted |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 1929 |
| Indiana | 1933 |
| Kentucky | 1926 |
| North Carolina | 1943 |
| Ohio | 1933 |
| Virginia | 1950 |
| West Virginia | 1949 |
The overlap between Indiana and its immediate neighbors is notable. Kentucky and Ohio both share the cardinal designation, which says a lot about how deeply the bird is woven into the identity of the Midwest and Upper South. If you are also wondering about Ohio, the Ohio state bird is the Northern Cardinal. If you're wondering about Kentucky specifically, its state bird is also the Northern Cardinal, reflecting the same strong Midwest and Upper South connection. If you're curious about why each of those states independently landed on the same bird, the reasons are largely similar: year-round residency, visual impact, and widespread familiarity. The cardinal pages for Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio each tell a version of the same story with their own regional context. Virginia's state bird is also the Northern Cardinal, which is why you may see the question asked in connection with Virginia Virginia's state bird is the Northern Cardinal.
Clearing Up the Confusion Around "Larry"
Here's a quick breakdown of the most common questions and misconceptions tied to this search.
Is Larry an official nickname for Indiana's state bird?
No. There is no official nickname of any kind attached to Indiana's state bird designation. The statute uses "Red Bird or Cardinal." The scientific name in the original statute is Richmondena Cardinalis Cardinalis (the modern accepted name is Cardinalis cardinalis). Larry appears nowhere in any official document.
Could "Larry" refer to a specific famous cardinal?
Not in any documented or official way. The Larry name comes from social media humor, not from a specific famous bird or a historical figure. It's the internet assigning a human name to a bird for comedic effect.
Is the cardinal sometimes called the "red bird" officially?
Yes, actually. Indiana's statute specifically uses the phrase "Red Bird or Cardinal," so "Red Bird" is part of the official common name as designated by Indiana law. That's a legitimate alternative name with a legal basis. Larry is not.
What if someone told me Indiana's state bird is Larry as a fact?
They were either repeating a joke without realizing it had spread as misinformation, or they were deliberately messing with you. Either way, point them to Indiana Code § 1-2-8-1 or the IN.gov state FAQ page. Both will settle the question in about 30 seconds.
What to Do Next
Now that you have the real answer, here are a few useful directions depending on what you're actually looking for.
- To learn more about Indiana's state bird specifically, including deeper historical context and why the 1933 General Assembly made that call, check out the dedicated Indiana state bird page on this site.
- If you're curious why so many states chose the same bird, the pages on Kentucky's cardinal designation and Virginia's cardinal designation walk through each state's reasoning side by side.
- If you want to identify a cardinal in the field, bookmark the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds page for the Northern Cardinal. It includes audio of the call, which is just as distinctive as the plumage.
- If you need a citable official source, go directly to Indiana Code § 1-2-8-1 on the Indiana General Assembly website or the IN.gov state FAQ. Both are government-hosted and authoritative.
Indiana's state bird is the Northern Cardinal. It has been since 1933. Larry is a joke. The cardinal is the answer.
FAQ
Is “Larry” an official nickname for Indiana’s state bird in any state document?
No. The statute names the state bird as the bird commonly known as the Red Bird or Cardinal, which points to the Northern Cardinal. “Larry” is not an alternate legal name, and it does not appear in the Indiana Code section that establishes the symbol.
How can I tell if someone is mixing up the Northern Cardinal with a different “red bird”?
You may see confusion because bird names are reused in everyday speech, but Indiana’s law is specific to the cardinal and its commonly used name (Red Bird or Cardinal). If someone is pointing to a different species, ask them for the exact statute language or a government page that identifies that species.
Has Indiana’s state bird changed since the “Larry” meme started spreading?
The state bird designation dates to 1933 and remains the same. The “Larry” meme may resurface, but it does not indicate any legal change, because Indiana’s official symbol is governed by statute, not social media.
What is the quickest authoritative way to verify Indiana’s state bird designation?
If you want to verify in the fastest way, search specifically for Indiana Code 1-2-8-1 and look for the line stating the state bird as the commonly known as Red Bird or Cardinal, plus the scientific name. That is the authoritative anchor that the other official sources align with.
If the official wording includes “Red Bird,” can I call it that casually?
Yes, “Red Bird” is legitimately included as part of the official common-name wording. However, it still refers to the cardinal, so “red bird” in general is not enough, you need the cardinal/Red Bird or Cardinal phrasing tied to the statute.
Is “Larry” similar to an official nickname, like a mascot or title?
No. The common-name portion is “commonly known as the Red Bird or Cardinal,” which is distinct from an official nickname like a mascot name. “Larry” functions as a joke-label, not a separately designated nickname in the legal language.
What practical field clue should I use to confirm I’m seeing the Northern Cardinal?
For real-world identification, treat the combination of a red body plus a conspicuous crest as the key clue, especially in winter when males stand out against snow. If a red bird has no crest, it is unlikely to be the Northern Cardinal.
What’s the best way to respond to someone who insists “the state bird of Indiana is Larry” is true?
If you are trying to correct a misinformation post, keep it simple: the official designation is Northern Cardinal (Red Bird or Cardinal) under Indiana Code 1-2-8-1, and Larry is only a meme. Ask them to share the statute or official government source if they claim otherwise.
Do other states’ use of the Northern Cardinal affect Indiana’s official answer in any way?
Even though multiple states use the Northern Cardinal as their state bird, Indiana’s own official answer is still the Northern Cardinal. Shared symbol choices do not create different legal names for Indiana, and they do not elevate “Larry” to anything official.
Citations
Indiana’s official state bird is the bird “commonly known as the Red Bird or Cardinal,” scientifically identified in the statute as “Richmondena Cardinalis Cardinalis” (i.e., Northern Cardinal).
https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-1/article-2/chapter-8/section-1-2-8-1/
The Indiana Governor’s Office “State Symbols” page states: “The cardinal (Richmondena cardinalis) was adopted as the state bird by the 1933 Indiana General Assembly.”
https://www.in.gov/gov/info-for-kids/state-symbols
Indiana DNR states the Northern Cardinal was chosen as the official state bird in 1933.
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Indiana’s official state-FAQ page says: “The Indiana State Bird is commonly known as the Red Bird or Cardinal” and it notes the General Assembly adoption context.
https://faqs.in.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115005063107-What-is-the-State-Bird-of-Indiana
The statute text directly “adopt[s] and designate[s]” the red bird/cardinal as Indiana’s official state bird.
https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-1/article-2/chapter-8/section-1-2-8-1/
Indiana DNR describes key ID traits: adult male cardinals are “all red except for the black mask at the base of the bill,” and it calls the bird “the only red bird with a crest in the United States.”
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Indiana DNR habitat note: for nesting, the cardinal “prefers dense thickets, shrubs, or saplings no more than 10 feet high” in open woodland areas.
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Indiana DNR says cardinals are commonly seen along “hedgerows, wood margins, and roadsides.”
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Cornell Lab of Ornithology (All About Birds) identification notes: adult male is “a brilliant red with a black mask around the bill,” with a “prominent crest” and “short, very thick bill.”
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id
All About Birds describes the Northern Cardinal as a “fairly large, long-tailed songbird” with a “prominent crest” and thick bill (helpful distinguishing cues from lookalikes like scarlet tanagers).
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id
Indiana DNR provides a field-recognizable explanation for why people notice it: it is a conspicuous “only red bird with a crest” type in the U.S.
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Britannica’s list of U.S. state birds identifies the “Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)” as the state bird of seven states, including Indiana.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-U-S-state-birds
Indiana DNR: the Northern Cardinal was chosen as the official state bird in 1933 (gives year for historical context).
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Indiana Code indicates the bird adoption was formerly by “Acts 1933, c.223, s.1.” (useful for locating the original 1933 act).
https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-1/article-2/chapter-8/section-1-2-8-1/
Indiana Governor’s Office state symbols page attributes the adoption to “the 1933 Indiana General Assembly.”
https://www.in.gov/gov/info-for-kids/state-symbols
Indiana’s Statehood Day handout materials describe the cardinal adoption timing: “The Cardinal was adopted as the state bird by the 1933 …” and include additional state-symbol context.
https://www.in.gov/idoa/statehouse/files/StatehoodDay2021_Handouts.pdf
Indiana DNR’s bird profile is a practical, authoritative reference for recognizing Indiana’s state bird in the real world (ID traits + habitat + where to see it).
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Indiana Governor’s Office provides an authoritative alternative verification channel (state government page) for the state bird and its adopted-from-1933 information.
https://www.in.gov/gov/info-for-kids/state-symbols
Indiana DNR page explicitly frames the cardinal as the official state bird (not just a common nickname).
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/cardinal/
Wikipedia’s compiled list indicates the northern cardinal is state bird for: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia (useful as a starting point, but should be confirmed via each state’s official sources).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_birds
All About Birds provides differentiating ID features (crest + thick bill + black mask) that help readers avoid misidentification with other red birds.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id
IN.gov FAQ is a government-hosted “myth-busting” style source that can be cited when answering common confusion/FAQ items about Indiana’s state bird.
https://faqs.in.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115005063107-What-is-the-State-Bird-of-Indiana
A sample example of the “Larry” confusion appears in user posts saying the “real state bird … is Larry,” but this is not authoritative; it’s social media evidence of the meme rather than an official claim.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Indiana/comments/168w20j