What does a female western meadowlark look like?

Western Meadowlarks have yellow underparts with intricately patterned brown, black and buff upperparts. A black “V” crosses the bright yellow breast; it is gray in winter. Contrasting stripes of dark brown and light buff mark the head. The outer tail feathers flash white in flight.

Where do Western Meadowlarks go in the winter?

Western Meadowlarks leave breeding grounds in the northern part of their range (Canada and the northern U.S.) to winter farther south. Small numbers may overwinter in the north during mild years. Those living at high elevation move to lower elevations in winter.

How common are Western Meadowlarks?

Western Meadowlarks are abundant and widespread, but breeding populations have declined slightly throughout their range in recent years, a trend seen in Washington in both the winter and breeding seasons.

Do meadowlarks fly?

Their flight is a distinctive sequence of rapid fluttering and short glides, usually low to the ground. In winter you may see flocks of meadowlarks hunting insects in fields.

How do you attract Western Meadowlark?

Western meadowlarks are not common backyard birds but will visit yards in rural, agricultural areas. Birders can make their backyard more attractive to these birds by providing ample perching areas, open areas, and grass seeds. Ground bird baths can also help attract western meadowlarks.

How can you tell the difference between Eastern and Western Meadowlark?

Visual differences are more subtle, but they do exist. One mark is the yellow malar region of a Western Meadowlark, as opposed to white in Eastern. The yellow of the throat extends higher up onto the face in the Western. This is an Eastern.

How do you attract Western meadowlarks?

Where are Western meadowlarks found?

The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. Only the Northern Cardinal is a more popular civic symbol, edging out the meadowlark by one state.

What is the difference between Eastern and Western meadowlarks?

Western Meadowlarks tend to be paler than Easterns. Much of this appearance seems to be the result of the thinner lines of black on the folded wing feathers, similar to the differences in the tail feathers. These three are Eastern Meadowlarks.

Where is the western meadowlark found?

Grasslands, cultivated fields and pastures, meadows, prairies. Breeds mostly in natural grasslands, abandoned weedy fields, rangeland, also sometimes on cultivated land. In the Midwest, seems to prefer shorter grass and drier fields than the sites chosen by Eastern Meadowlark.

What is the difference between Eastern and Western Meadowlarks?

Do western meadowlarks sing?

Although Western Meadowlarks seldom sing more than 10–12 songs, their eastern counterparts exhibit a much larger repertoire of 50–100 song variations.

What does a western meadowlark look like?

The Western Meadowlark is the size of a robin but chunkier and shorter-tailed , with a flat head, long, slender bill, and a round-shouldered posture that nearly conceals its neck. The wings are rounded and short for the bird’s size and the tail is short, stiff, and spiky.

What does a Western medowlark look like?

Size & Shape. The Western Meadowlark is the size of a robin but chunkier and shorter-tailed, with a flat head, long, slender bill, and a round-shouldered posture that nearly conceals its neck. The wings are rounded and short for the bird’s size and the tail is short, stiff, and spiky.

What is the western meadowlark’s prey?

It feeds mostly on bugs , but will also feed on seeds and berries . The western meadowlark has distinctive calls described as watery or flute-like, which distinguish it from the closely related eastern meadowlark. The western meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming .

Does a western meadowlark nest on the ground?

Western Meadowlarks nest on the ground, often in small dips or hollows, such as those created by cow footprints. Nests are typically under dense vegetation and can be very difficult to find. Western Meadowlarks are polygynous. Successful males generally mate with two females at a time. Females build the nests, which are grass domes with side entrances.