Western Meadowlark

Sturnella neglecta

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family ICTERIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

An abundant and familiar bird of open country across the western two-thirds of the continent, the Western Meadowlark is beloved for its melodic song. It is frequently seen singing atop fenceposts along roadsides in native grassland and agricultural areas.

Cool Facts

• The nest of the Western Meadowlark usually is partially covered by a grass roof. It may be completely open, however, or it may have a complete roof and an entrance tunnel several feet long.

• Although the Western Meadowlark looks nearly identical to the Eastern Meadowlark, the two species hybridize only very rarely. Mixed pairs usually occur only at the edge of the range where few mates are available. Captive breeding experiments found that hybrid meadowlarks were fertile, but produced few eggs that hatched.

• When Western and Eastern meadowlarks nest in the same area, the Western Meadowlark male will defend his territory against all male meadowlarks of either species.

• A male Western Meadowlark usually has two mates at the same time. The females do all the incubation and brooding, and most of the feeding of the young.

• The Western Meadowlark uses a "chase" display during pair formation, with the male chasing the female. The female usually starts the display, and she determines the speed of the chase. If a male has two mates, both females may participate in the display at one time.

Description

• Size: 16-26 cm (6-10 in)
• Wingspan: 41 cm (16 in)
• Weight: 89-115 g (3.14-4.06 ounces)

• Large, stocky songbird with a short tail.
• Throat, chest, and belly yellow.
• Black "V" across chest.
• Back brown and streaked.
• Outer tail feathers white.

• Bill long and slender.
• Long legs and toes.
• Crown dark with light stripe down middle.
• Light eyebrow, yellow in front of eye.
• Flanks white with dark streaking.
• Eyes black.
• Legs pink.
• Outer wing and tail feathers partly barred with black and brown.
• Buffy edging to feathers in fall wears off during winter, revealing bright pattern.

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, but female smaller and less strongly marked.

Immature

Juvenile similar to adult, but with head stripes less sharp, paler overall, and with dusky spots or flecks on chest instead of black V.

Similar Species

• Eastern Meadowlark extremely similar, but darker, with thicker black barring on wings and tail feathers, and mostly white mustache stripe beside the yellow throat instead of yellow up to the face. Songs and calls different, with the song of the Eastern Meadowlark being more simple and less musical.

Sound

Song a series of rich flutey whistles ending in gurgling whistles. Call a sharp "chupp."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from British Columbia to southern Ontario and extreme northwestern Ohio, southward to Mexico and western Texas.

Winter Range

Winters from Washington, northern Utah, Nebraska, and northern Illinois, southward to Gulf Coast and southern Mexico.

Habitat

Found in open country, including native grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, roadsides, and desert grassland.

Food

Insects, grain, and weed seeds.

Behavior

Foraging

Picks food off of ground and probes beneath soil.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest a partially covered cup of dried grasses or bark, woven into surrounding vegetation on ground. Lined with finer grasses.

Egg Description

White with many dark spots.

Clutch Size

3-6 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with sparse down.

Conservation Status

Abundant, but declining throughout range.

Other Names

Sturnelle de l'Ouest (French)
Triguera de Occidente (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Lanyon, W. E. 1994. Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta). In The Birds of North America, No. 104 (A. Poole, and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.