Eastern Meadowlark

The Eastern Meadowlark’s latin name is Sturnella magna. They are found in eastern North America and South America. Their preferred habitat is grasslands, open savannas, and prairies. The Eastern Meadowlark breeds from March through August. An Eastern Meadowlark nest is built in well-concealed areas on the ground, often in a shallow depression and usually in dense vegetation. These birds winter in southern parts. Their population is nearly threatened.

The Eastern Meadowlark bird can be found at Coal Creek farm year round. The male Eastern Meadowlark song consists of 3 to 5 (sometimes up to 8) pure and plaintive flute like whistles all slurred together and gradually dropping in pitch, up to 2 seconds long. Their diet consists of grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, larvae, caterpillars, ants, spiders, and seeds. What is the difference between the Eastern vs. Western Meadowlark? They both look very similar to each other, however Western Meadowlarks have a yellow malar region, while Eastern Meadowlarks have buff or whitish malar stripes. Western Meadowlarks also have paler tails with thinner barring, whereas Eastern Meadowlarks have dark centers to their tails and show thicker barring on their tail feathers.