The more common of the two
Meadowlark species found in the state, the other being the Eastern
Meadowlark. The songs (and normal ranges) of two species are distinctly different and provide
the best means for distinguishing between the two. The two species do
occasionally interbreed where their ranges overlap, but normally stay with their
kind. They are a very common sight throughout the state, often found
singing on fence posts and other perches.
Habitat: Grasslands, prairies, and farm fields.
Diet: Primarily insects in the summer,
increases feeding on seeds and grain in the fall and winter.
solitary or paired during the breeding season, but can be gregarious at other
times of the year. Forages by walking along the ground, picking up insects
and seeds as it goes.
Nesting: May through July
Migration: Summers in the western half of the U.S.
and the upper Midwest, Northern populations mouth south in the fall.
Conservation Status: Generally stable and widespread
Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Western Meadowlark
Photo Information: June 8th, 2003
-- Western Lincoln County -- Terry L. Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or
text links below for additional, higher-resolution Western Meadowlark photos.