Our Top 10 Favorite Sports Team Bird Mascots

Updated: Oct. 23, 2023

Cheer for these professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey teams with bird mascots!

Courtesy Sheila Babin

Cardinals

If you love Northern cardinals, you’re in luck. Two professional sports teams, the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL and the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB, feature these beloved red birds as their mascot. Check out 6 proven ways to attract cardinals.

Courtesy Lorraine Lynch

Blue Jays

Toronto’s professional baseball team is named the Blue Jays. These bold and colorful backyard birds love to eat peanuts. Blue jays are also one of the smartest bird species in America.

Courtesy Rena Lagerblade

Baltimore Orioles

It seems fitting that Baltimore’s professional baseball team is named for Baltimore orioles. These vibrant orange birds flock to feeders in spring to eat oranges and grape jelly. Learn how to attract orioles.

Courtesy Valeri Maisch

Ravens

Baltimore’s professional football team is called the Ravens. Notably, writer Edgar Allen Poe once lived (and died) in Baltimore. Learn 8 surprising facts about ravens.

Courtesy Veronica McAvoy

Pelicans

If you’re a basketball fan, root for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA. Louisiana is nicknamed “The Pelican State.” Can you guess the official state bird of all 50 states?

Courtesy Carol Spry

Falcons

If you like professional football and birds of prey, the Atlanta Falcons are the team for you. One fascinating fact is that peregrine falcons are the fastest birds on Earth.

Courtesy Andrew Lockwood

Eagles

It makes perfect sense that our national bird lends its name to Philadelphia’s football team. The city is full of historic sites where you can learn about our Founding Fathers, such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Meet Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles, the two eagles of North America.

Courtesy Charlene Denise Maples

Hawks

Atlanta’s professional basketball team is the Hawks, though we’re not sure if fans prefer Cooper’s hawks or sharp-shinned hawks. Discover top hawk watching tips and hotspots.

Courtesy Ken Cheung

Ducks

Support the Anaheim Ducks, a bird-themed hockey team based in California, if you’re a birdwatcher who loves waterfowl. Check out 7 types of ducks you should know.

Courtesy Lynn Ronan

Penguins

Though penguins are most certainly not backyard birds, we adore them anyway. So we had to add the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team to this list. Discover 12 birds you can only see in one place on Earth.

Originally Published: September 30, 2020

Author

Lori Vanover

Lori Vanover is the senior digital editor for Birds & Blooms. She has a bachelor of science degree in agricultural and environmental communications from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Lori is certified as a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener and is also a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. In her spare time she enjo...