Lark Bunting (LARB)
Calamospiza melanocorys
Range
When in breeding season, Lark Buntings can be found throughout most of the Midwest and part of central southern Canada. The birds winter in the southern U.S. and northern Mexico, and migrate throughout part of the Midwest between the two spots. When in breeding season Lark Bunting males are commonly spotted hopping about grasslands throughout the Midwest, standing out because of their jet black coloration.
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Identification
The Lark Bunting is a small, round bird with a broad, almost blue-gray bill. Breeding males are a shiny jet black, with white detailing on their wings and tips of tail feathers, with pink or gray legs. When not in breeding season, males are patchy, with dark brown and gray streaks all over their body; however, they retain white detailing on the wing and tips of inner tail feathers.
Females look similar to nonbreeding males, but they lack bright white on their wings and tail, and instead are shades of tan and dark brown. They have brown streaks on a sandy colored chest. Some females will have light tan or dirty-white wing details, but how apparent and visible this pattern is depends on the individual.
Lark Buntings are easy to spot in breeding season, since the males perform a flashy group display 20-30 feet in the air. Their deep black feathers and vibrant white wing patches are hard to miss as birds glide down, all the while singing an aggressive song of sharp notes and whistles.
Habitat
Lark Buntings live in grasslands with plenty of shrubbery and native plants. They can also be found in plains and prairies, but prefer habitats with shortgrass characteristics.
When breeding, the birds like wide open grasslands with sagebrush. Lark Buntings avoid bare ground while nesting, instead making their nest at the base of a cactus or a native scrub. Lark Buntings will not nest in recently burned fields or heavily grazed areas.
Conservation Status
- Listed as Decreasing by American Bird Conservancy
- Listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International
- Listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Listed as Secure by Nature Serve Explorer
Threats to Conservation
Lark Buntings, like all grassland and native prairie birds, face severe habitat loss. Since the birds will not nest in overgrazed areas or recently burned fields, many previously suitable habitats are now useless.
In addition, most historic grasslands have been turned into agricultural fields and developments, which Lark Buntings will refuse to spend their breeding season in. Fragmentation, which is linked with grassland habitat degradation, also poses a severe threat to Lark Buntings. As native habitats and prairies begin to be converted for other human uses, the remaining sectors are divided, and their borders with surrounding areas like forests and wetlands increases. While some species thrive on these mixed-habitat ranges, grassland birds do not. The Lark Bunting is one of the many species that cannot survive in prairies that border along other habitats, so it is vital to encourage landowners and organizations to prioritize replanting native plants and grasses between grasslands to connect the fragments together.
An added threat for the Lark Buntings is drowning; an astonishingly high number of them die in livestock water troughs. The birds, for some reason, are highly drawn to the troughs in horse and cattle enclosures, and sometimes end up slipping and drowning in the water. A way to prevent this is having a simple ramp attached to any buckets, troughs, or water collectors. This will not only save any birds that stumble in, but will also aid other critters like small rodents, frogs, lizards, and any other unsuspecting thirsty animal.
Lark Buntings are also a common car collision fatality in the Midwest, especially in developments near the remaining grassland habitats. In these developments, Lark Buntings are also preyed upon by stray and outdoor house cats. Juveniles are especially vulnerable to cats, since their reflexes and flight skills are not fully developed, and the young birds have no hope of survival when stalked by someone’s furry pet.
Funding Opportunities
- America the Beautiful Challenge
- Conservation Nation Grant Program
- Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program
- Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program
- Natural Areas Research Grant
- Natural Legacy Program
- Nature Works
- Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant
- North Dakota Natural Resources Trusts and Land Programs
- The Migratory Bird Program
- Tribal Wildlife Grants
- Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
- Wildlife Habitat Grant Program
- USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund