Bird City Maryland Community Engagement Soars with their Signature Birds

The Great Blue Heron is the Signature Bird of Bird City Maryland community Havre de Grace and is depicted in this sculpture, one of several bird sculptures by Joseph E. Stebbing, Jr., displayed along the promenade. Photo courtesy of the Havre de Grace Arts Collective.

Maryland Bird City communities choose a "Signature Bird” to represent their city, county or campus. This bird can be either a migratory bird or a resident and is easily recognizable to community members as a bird that uses their ecosystem for part of its life cycle. Signature Birds are a way for a community to educate and engage its members about the amazing and beautiful birds that rely on our state for critical nesting, stopover, or wintering habitat.

“Having a Town signature bird opened the door to endless possibilities to promote not just our official town bird but all migratory birds, in ways that are easily accessible by the public,” stated Kelly Phipps, the Town Clerk in La Plata.

Signature Birds Engage and Educate

Bird City Maryland is the only program in the Bird City Network that asks communities to choose a Signature Bird. Many Bird City communities have used this assignment to engage and educate their communities in creative ways. “Education and Engagement” is one of four categories of actions in the Bird City Maryland application that communities can choose from when they apply. The application serves as a tool, a guide, and a conservation delivery system. It’s always exciting to see communities interpret the actions in new ways.

Honoring a Long-Time Resident

Purple Martins using one of the many Purple Martin roosts in the Town of La Plata. Photo by Lynne Wheeler.

The Town of La Plata, Maryland’s first Bird City, chose the Purple Martin as a Signature Bird which has been roosting in the town for decades. La Plata has Purple Martin roosts throughout the town, some of which are equipped with nest cameras. The webcam is located on the Bird City page of the town’s website. A gigantic Purple Martin sculpture has been installed outside the Town Hall signifying their pride in being the first Bird City. In 2025 the town introduced a Town of La Plata Bird City license plate with a Purple Martin on it. What better way to bring attention to this special bird and the community’s efforts to make La Plata an incredible place to live for birds and people?

Purple Martin sculpture outside the La Plata’s Town Hall. Photo courtesy of the Town of La Plata.

selecting the Signature Bird

How does a community select a Signature Bird? The answer is as varied as our communities and the selection process is a tool for engagement. Typically a local bird club member will assist the community in narrowing down the options to five representative birds. Middletown, a Bird City community in Frederick County, then turned it over to their local middle school for the final selection. Each day a student read one bird choice over the morning announcements, complete with scientific information about the bird. At the end of the week the whole school voted to choose the town bird: the Baltimore Oriole, which nests in Middletown. This was such an inventive way to involve young people and have them feel invested in the process and outcome.

Other communities such as the City of Frederick and Frederick County have used social media for the voting process.

An Agent for Outreach

Stuffed animal mascot “Midnight Heronson,” representing the City of Frederick’s signature bird the Black-crowned Night Heron. Photo courtesy of Lauren Paulet, Sustainability Outreach Coordinator for the city.

After the City of Frederick chose their bird, the Black-crowned Night Heron, they had a naming contest for the bird: “Midnight Heronson.” Midnight even has an official Class C Flyer’s license. A stuffed animal version of Midnight now accompanies the city’s Sustainability Outreach Coordinator, Lauren Paulet, as she works with local residents on environmental actions.

An actual Black-crowned Night Heron in the City of Frederick. Photo by J. Socha.

“Having a bird sustainability mascot for our efforts has 100 percent increased how kids and families interact with our initiatives,” said Lauren. “The plushie is the very first thing they are drawn to and sustainability work is more fun when you have a stuffed representative signature bird to help communicate.”

Midnight is also printed on a reusable shopping bag that is part of Sustainable Frederick’s “bring your own bag” campaign. Midnight has communicated with residents beyond sustainability efforts and has become a part of civic life in Frederick. He was part of a voter registration campaign, he is a lifeguard on a mural at the pool, and he is an active composter. Midnight does it all!

From the American Kestrel (Frederick County’s Signature Bird) to the Great Blue Heron, the Signature Bird Program has become an integral component of Bird City Maryland communities ability to effectively and creatively engage with their residents about the importance of avian conservation.