Important State Birds, Flowers and Trees Across Indian States and UTs
Each State and Union Territory in India officially designates its own state symbols—including a state bird, state flower, and state tree—to reflect its unique ecological richness, indigenous flora and fauna, and cultural heritage. These symbols are selected based on endemic presence, conservation priorities, and regional ecological identity. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) along with state forest departments oversees the protection of these species under statutory frameworks like the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
State Symbols of Indian States
The 28 states of India have designated distinct avian, floral, and arboreal symbols representing their localized ecosystems.
| State | State Bird | State Flower | State Tree |
| Andhra Pradesh | Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) | Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) | Neem (Azadirachta indica) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) | Foxtail Orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa) | Hollong (Dipterocarpus retusus) |
| Assam | White-winged Wood Duck (Asarcornis scutulata) | Foxtail Orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa) | Hollong (Dipterocarpus retusus) |
| Bihar | House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) | Kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) | Peepal (Ficus religiosa) |
| Chhattisgarh | Bastar Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa peninsularis) | French Marigold (Tagetes patula) | Sal (Shorea robusta) |
| Goa | Flame-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus gularis) | Red Jasmine (Plumeria rubra) | Matti (Terminalia elliptica) |
| Gujarat | Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) | Marigold (Tagetes erecta) | Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) |
| Haryana | Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus) | Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) | Peepal (Ficus religiosa) |
| Himachal Pradesh | Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus) | Pink Rhododendron (Rhododendron campanulatum) | Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) |
| Jharkhand | Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) | Palash (Butea monosperma) | Sal (Shorea robusta) |
| Karnataka | Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) | Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) | Sandalwood (Santalum album) |
| Kerala | Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) | Kanikonna (Cassia fistula) | Coconut Tree (Cocos nucifera) |
| Madhya Pradesh | Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) | White Lily (Lilium candidum) | Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) |
| Maharashtra | Yellow-footed Green Pigeon (Treron phoenicopterus) | Jarul (Lagerstroemia speciosa) | Mango (Mangifera indica) |
| Manipur | Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) | Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae) | Uningthou (Phoebe hainesiana) |
| Meghalaya | Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa) | Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Paphiopedilum insigne) | White Teak (Gmelina arborea) |
| Mizoram | Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) | Red Vanda (Renanthera Ischootiana) | Ironwood (Mesua ferrea) |
| Nagaland | Blyth’s Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) | Rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum) | Alder (Alnus nepalensis) |
| Odisha | Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) | Ashoka (Saraca asoca) | Sacred Fig / Peepal (Ficus religiosa) |
| Punjab | Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) | Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus) | Sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo) |
| Rajasthan | Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) | Rohida (Tecomella undulata) | Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) |
| Sikkim | Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus) | Noble Dendrobium (Dendrobium nobile) | Rhododendron (Rhododendron niveum) |
| Tamil Nadu | Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica) | Gloriosa Lily (Gloriosa superba) | Palmyra Palm (Borassus flabellifer) |
| Telangana | Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) | Tangedu (Senna auriculata) | Jammi Tree (Prosopis cineraria) |
| Tripura | Green Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea) | Nageshwar (Mesua ferrea) | Agarwood (Aquilaria agallocha) |
| Uttar Pradesh | Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone) | Palash (Butea monosperma) | Sita Ashoka (Saraca asoca) |
| Uttarakhand | Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) | Brahma Kamal (Saussurea obvallata) | Buransh (Rhododendron arboreum) |
| West Bengal | White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) | Night-flowering Jasmine (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) | Chatim (Alstonia scholaris) |
State Symbols of Union Territories
Union Territories designate symbols reflect local ecological landscapes, island biodiversity, and high-altitude habitats.
| Union Territory | State Bird | State Flower | State Tree |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Andaman Wood Pigeon (Columba palumboides) | Andaman Pyinma (Lagerstroemia hypoleuca) | Andaman Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides) |
| Chandigarh | Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) | Palash (Butea monosperma) | Mango (Mangifera indica) |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Not Officially Declared | Not Officially Declared | Not Officially Declared |
| Delhi | House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) | Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) | Gulmohar (Delonix regia) |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) | Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) | Chinar (Platanus orientalis) |
| Ladakh | Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) | Meconopsis / Himalayan Blue Poppy | Juniper (Juniperus polycarpos) |
| Lakshadweep | Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) | Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) | Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) |
| Puducherry | Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) | Cannonball Flower (Couroupita guianensis) | Bael (Aegle marmelos) |
Key Classification and Ecological Profiles
Avian Symbols and Conservation Status
- Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps): State bird of Rajasthan. Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and included in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone): State bird of Uttar Pradesh. Holds the status of being the world’s tallest flying bird species.
- Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis): Shared state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala. Acts as a key seed disperser in tropical rainforest ecosystems.
- Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus): State bird of Himachal Pradesh. Locally called Jujurana, meaning “King of Birds”.
- Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis): State bird of Ladakh. Breeds exclusively in high-altitude wetlands of the Changthang plateau.
Floral Symbols and Botanical Highlights
- Brahma Kamal (Saussurea obvallata): State flower of Uttarakhand. Belongs to the Asteraceae family and blooms at high Himalayan altitudes above 3,000 meters.
- Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae): State flower of Manipur. Endemic exclusively to the Shirui Hill range in Ukhrul district.
- Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana): State flower of Lakshadweep. Exhibits a plietesial life cycle, blooming once every 12 years in the Shola grasslands.
- Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera): Shared official flower of Haryana, Karnataka, and Jammu & Kashmir. Serves as India’s National Flower.
Arboreal Symbols and Ecological Roles
- Khejri / Jammi Tree (Prosopis cineraria): Shared state tree of Rajasthan and Telangana. Plays a major role in desert soil stabilization and agroforestry.
- Chinar (Platanus orientalis): State tree of Jammu & Kashmir. Iconic broadleaf tree native to the temperate Kashmir valley.
- Hollong (Dipterocarpus retusus): Shared state tree of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Represents a primary canopy species in semi-evergreen rain forests.
- Agarwood (Aquilaria agallocha): State tree of Tripura. Highly valued for aromatic resin produced in response to mold infection.
Core State Symbols Facts
- Shared State Birds: Great Hornbill (Arunachal Pradesh & Kerala), Indian Roller (Karnataka, Odisha & Telangana), Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant (Manipur & Mizoram), House Sparrow (Bihar & Delhi), Asian Koel (Jharkhand & Puducherry).
- Shared State Flowers: Foxtail Orchid (Arunachal Pradesh & Assam), Lotus (Haryana, Karnataka & J&K), Palash (Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh & Chandigarh).
- Shared State Trees: Peepal (Bihar, Haryana & Odisha), Sal (Chhattisgarh & Jharkhand), Banyan (Gujarat & Madhya Pradesh), Khejri / Jammi (Rajasthan & Telangana), Hollong (Assam & Arunachal Pradesh), Mango (Maharashtra & Chandigarh).
- Post-Reorganisation Changes: Jammu & Kashmir declared the Kalij Pheasant as its state bird in 2021 following the creation of Ladakh, which adopted the Black-necked Crane.
- Endemic Flower Range: The Shirui Lily grows naturally only in a small region of Manipur and cannot be successfully transplanted elsewhere.
- Sacred Groves Connection: Sal (Shorea robusta) and Peepal (Ficus religiosa) hold cultural and ecological significance across Eastern and Central Indian tribal belts.
- Desert Survival Tree: Rohida (Tecomella undulata), known as the “Desert Teak”, provides timber in arid zones of Rajasthan.
- Schedule I Protection: The Great Indian Bustard, White-winged Wood Duck, and Western Tragopan receive maximum protection under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Originally written on
November 20, 2015
and last modified on
August 13, 2026.
