State Bird

Greater Roadrunner The State Bird of New Mexico, the Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is known by a wide variety of names including Chaparral Bird, el corrrecaminos, and el paisano.  It is the larger of two ground cuckoos, the other being the Lesser...
State Question

State Question

“Red or Green?” In 1996 the New Mexico State Legislature passed a House Joint Memorial declaring “Red or Green?” as the official state question.  This refers to the question always asked whether one prefers red or green chile when ordering...

State Nickname

Land of Enchantment Lillian Whiting first noted the phrase, “Land of Enchantment,”  in the title of her book on New Mexico in 1906.  In September 1935, Joseph A. Bursey, Director of the State Tourist Bureau, designed a brochure using this...

State Tree

Piñon Pine (Pinus edulis) Few plants or animals are more ingrained in the culture and biology of New Mexico than the Piñon Pine (Pinus edulis).  It is also sometimes called Two Needle Piñon.  The species is found mostly in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and...

State Poem – Spanish

Palace of the Governors The poem “A Nuevo Mexico,” written by Luis Tafoya in January 1911, was declared to be the official state poem during the 40th Legislative session in January 1991.  The poem, with its English translation, is as follows: A  NUEVO ...
State Guitar

State Guitar

New Mexico’s Official Guitar March 25, 2009 a guitar known as the New Mexico sunrise was named New Mexico’s Official Guitar. The instrument is a custom guitar designed and handcrafted by Pimentel and Sons. The guitar features inlaid Zia sun symbols. Taking...