Species

Eastern meadowlark

Sturnella magna

A yellow-breasted grassland bird with a black V on its chest and a clear, whistled song from fence posts.

Photo Laura Mae (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 19 to 26 cm long
Weight: About 76 to 150 g
Habitat: Pastures, hayfields, grasslands and airports
Diet: Insects, especially grasshoppers and crickets; seeds
In Georgia: A common resident in open country
Voice: A clear, whistled "see-you, see-yeeer"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Bright yellow throat and breast; black V across the chest; streaked brown back; white outer tail feathers
Told apart from: Dickcissel, which is smaller with a thick bill
Where to look: Fence posts and pastures

Behaviour

Meadowlarks walk through grass looking for insects and probe the ground with their bills. They sing from fence posts and wires.

Why they matter

Eastern meadowlarks have declined by about 70 per cent since the 1960s as grasslands were lost. They eat many grasshoppers and crickets, and they depend on pastures and hayfields managed with birds in mind.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A domed cup of grass on the ground
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 13 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 11 to 12 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Mowing pastures after nesting season protects nests.

Misconceptions

Meadowlarks are larks. They are related to blackbirds and orioles.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Winter flocks	Singing	Nesting begins	Nesting	Chicks	Second broods	Young fledging	Present	Present	Flocks forming	Flocks	Flocks

Where it lives

Recorded in 49 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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