The new city bird is a result of a competition among Fort Worth ISD students.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth will officially proclaim the eastern bluebird as the first official city bird.
The eastern bluebird was up against five other birds, the barred owl, Carolina chickadee, great egret, red-shouldered hawk and red-bellied woodpecker. Online voters chose the bluebird and Fort Worth City Council will make it official Tuesday.
The naming “marks a significant milestone in the cultural and environmental identity of Fort Worth,” a Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said in a press release.
Fort Worth elementary school students prepared presentations about each of the six potential city birds. Online voters could view each presentation before making their selection. Westcliff Elementary school students emphasized the Eastern Bluebird’s friendliness and positive impact on their environment.
The project allowed students to engage in research, data collection, constructing explanations, and argumentation, all very important parts of being a scientist,” Rocco Williams, K-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator, said. ““The community was able to see how impactful engaging in a science project like this can be for our students and community.”
The eastern bluebird is known for embodying qualities of hope, happiness, peace, and joy, Westcliff Elementary students said. The proclamation read at Tuesday’s council meeting will also celebrate civic engagement and interdisciplinary learning, the school district release said.