Visual Search | Wizard | Browse
Bird name:

Western Meadowlark

Sturnella neglecta

Order

PASSERIFORMES

Family

Blackbirds and Orioles (Icteridae)

Code 4

WEME

Code 6

STUNEG

ITIS

179039

Breeding Location:

Open landscapes, Grassland with scattered trees



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester



Breeding Population:

Fairly common to common



Egg Color:

Pale pink with brown and lavender speckles



Number of Eggs:

3 - 7



Incubation Days:

13 - 15



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Dried grass and plant stems



Migration:

Northern birds migrate



RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Clingers Only Feeder
Weather resistant inexpensive feeder is ideal for small birds.
Suet Delight
Easy to hang and maintain, holds all kinds of packaged suet.
Ultimate Woodpecker Feeder
Only allows woodpeckers to feed made of Inland Cedar.
The No-No Copper Feeder
Beautiful copper feeder holds 2.5 lbs of sunflower seeds.
Attracting Clingers

General

Western Meadowlark: Short, stocky, ground-dwelling bird with dark-streaked brown upperparts and bright yellow underparts with broad black V on breast. Crown is dark brown-and-white striped; face is white with dark eyestripes. Bill is sharply pointed. Tail is brown with white edges. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is paler with black spotting on underparts.

Range and Habitat

Western Meadowlark: Breeds from British Columbia, Manitoba, northern Michigan, and northwestern Ohio south to Missouri, central Texas, and northern Mexico; has spread eastward in recent years. Spends winters in much of its breeding range north to southern British Columbia, Utah, and Arkansas. Preferred habitats include meadows, plains, and prairies.

Breeding and Nesting

Western Meadowlark: Three to seven brown and lavender spotted, pale pink eggs are laid in a domed cup of grass and stems concealed in grass or weeds. Incubation ranges from 13 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Western Meadowlark: Eats mostly insects, spiders, and snails; also consumes seeds and vegetation. Usually forages for food while walking on the ground.

Vocalization

Western Meadowlark: Song is a rich, flute-like jumble of gurgling notes, usually descending the scale.

Similar Species

Western Meadowlark: Eastern Meadowlark has a darker body and more white on outer tail feathers.

.
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Read more...
ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

Read more...
Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX