Eastern Meadowlark
T. Hince
Sturnella magna
Description
- Medium-sized bird with a bold black “V” in the middle of its bright yellow breast.
- Backs are dabbled brown with flecks of yellow, white and black.
- Juvenile similar to adult but paler overall with greyish flecks on chest instead of black V.
- Meadowlarks are a member of the blackbird family.
- Clear, musical whistle “spring of the year” call is easily heard and they prefer to call from an elevated position such as a fence post.
Food
- They feed on the ground on insects like grubs, grasshoppers and crickets.
Habits and Reproduction
- Males typically have two mates.
- Females build a domed nest of grass which is woven into surrounding vegetation. She lays 3-7 white eggs spotted with brown and lavender which incubate in two weeks.
- Active nests have been found from early May until early August however the majority of meadowlark breeding happens from late May until early July.
- By November, this species migrates south to the southern United States and into Mexico.
Habitat
- Open habitat especially meadows and large fields with long grass.
Conservation Actions
- Pastures and hay fields provide important habitat for two threatened grassland bird species: bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks. Both species will benefit from delaying mowing until mid-July to allow the birds to raise their broods .
Range Map
