Sturnella neglecta
The Western Meadowlark's trademark song is the voice of the prairies; it rings all too infrequently through low-elevation grasslands in the Rockies. The yellow breast, with its black V, and the white outer tail feathers serve to attract mates. Potential meadowlark mates face one another, raise their bills high and perform a grassland ballet. Oddly, the colorful breast and white tail feathers are also used to attract the attention of potential predators. Foxes, hawks and falcons focus on these bold features in pursuit, so the meadowlark can mysteriously disappear into the grass whenever it chooses to turn its back or fold away its white tail flags. This species, the state bird of Montana, Oregon and Wyoming, was overlooked by the famed Lewis and Clark expedition, which mistakenly thought it was an Eastern Meadowlark. This omission is represented in its scientific name, neglecta. |
I.D.: Sexes similar: yellow underparts; broad, black bib; mottled brown upperparts; short tail; long, pinkish legs; yellow lore; brown crown stripes and eye line; white outer tail feathers; black spotting on the white flanks; slender bill. Size: L 8-10 in. (20-25 cm). Range: common migrant and summer breeder and uncommon winter resident north to Waterton Lakes NP; rare migrant elsewhere in the Canadian Rockies. Habitat: croplands, agricultural areas, grasslands, roadsides and mountain meadows up to the subalpine. Nesting: in a dry depression or scrape on the ground; domed nest, with a side entrance, is woven into the surrounding vegetation with grass and plant stems; female incubates 3-7 eggs for 13-15 days. Feeding: walks or runs along the ground, gleaning grasshoppers, crickets and spiders off grass and the ground; also eats seeds. Voice: rich series of flute-like warbles. Similar Species: none. |
