Description: The
Western Meadowlark is one of the most recognizable
birds of the American prairie. It is the
state bird of Kansas, Nebraska, Montana,
Oregon and North Dakota. The nine inch
Meadowlark has a brown back and wings with
black markings. Its underparts are largely
bright yellow with black spots and a distinctive
black "V" across the chest. Many
a traveler along the Kansas turnpike will
identify the Western Meadowlark through
the intense sun by this black
"V". The Meadowlark has white sides
and a white face with a dark stripe through
the eye and on the cap. Most meadowlarks have
a small patch of yellow between the eye and
bill. Meadowlarks are identified in flight
by large white tail patches. Male and female
Meadowlarks are identical. The closely related
Eastern Meadowlark is virtually identical to
the Western Meadowlark and cannot
be identified by sight where their range overlap
in the midwest.
Habitat/Range/Diet: The
Western Meadowlark is found throughout
the western United States and is expanding
its range east to Michigan and western
Ohio. Highest densities occur in the Great
Plains states. Meadowlarks are found exclusively
in open areas such as meadows, prairies
and farmland. They are commonly observed
on telephone wires or singing from exposed
perches like fenceposts. Meadowlarks feed
on the ground, eating insects, grain and
weed seeds. Western
Meadowlarks build domed nests in which
the female lays 3 to 7 white eggs with
dark marks.
Status: Meadowlarks
sometimes gather in winter flocks of 100
or more birds. The Eastern Meadowlark has
declined in population recently because
habitat loss and because early mowing may
destroy nest and eggs.
