Delaware State Bird
Blue Hen (common name)  Gallus gallus (scientific name) Overview The blue hen was designated the state bird of Delaware in 1939. The reasons for its selection go back to the Revolutionary War and the now-outlawed hobby of cockfighting, which was popular with the captain and soldiers of the Delaware regiment. The men were said to fight as fiercely as the blue roosters owned by their captain. The rooster has primarily dark blue and greyish feathers. Its head has two ear-shaped white patches on either side, a prominent red comb, and red wattles. Other plumage can be red, brown, maroon, orange, or metallic green. Female chickens have more white, olive, or gold plumage. Although the the chicken's diet consists of seeds and insects, although on farms domesticated birds are often fed grain. The chicken's calls are fairly diverse, ranging from communal clucking to sharp alarm calls and the rooster's distinctive territorial crowing. Chickens are prodigious breeders and can lay as often as every day (although averages are closer to 100-200 eggs per year). Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS    Male Female  Size Length to end of tail: 30 in (76 cm) Wing from flexure: 15 in (38 cm) Length of tail: 16 in (40 cm) Length to end of tail: 17 in (43 cm) Wing from flexure: 15 in (38 cm) Length of tail:16 in (40 cm)  Weight Approx 2.5 lbs (1.10 kg) Approx 2.5 lbs (1.10 kg) BEHAVIOR Chickens have very a distinctive social system involving a "pecking order" in which one rooster and one hen will dominate their gender peers. HABITAT Native to the rainforest of South and Southeast Asia, domestic chickens are found all over the world. Range: Chickens, although certainly not blue ones, are found on farms worldwide. Migration: Non-migratory. Conservation status: Least concern (LC). NESTING Nesting Period: all year Size of Clutch: 5 to 10 eggs Incubation Period: 21 days Egg Description: white or light brown Egg Size: length 2 in (5 cm) SIMILAR SPECIES Green jungle fowl, gray jungle fowl, Sri Lanka jungle fowl, common pheasant TRIVIA While the blue hen variety is not actually a breed, local efforts to preserve its characteristics continue.
	Click to enlarge an image Blue Hen Close-up of a Blue Hen CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum:  Vertebrata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Genus: Gallus Species: G. gallus
	Author: World Trade Press