FAMILY Icteridce 



Western meadowlark, Sturnella 

 SOI. I 



negiecta. 9.50 



Distribution: Western United States from 

 the Mississippi valley to the Pacific, and from 

 British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, 

 and western Manitoba south to northern 

 Mexico and Lower California. 



The meadowlark is a bird of the wide, open 

 country. It is a feature of every grain or 

 stubble-field, and when not engaged in look- 

 ing for food may be heard whistling its clarion 

 song as it sits perched on fence or bush along 

 the road. While it is a bird of the ground it 

 may sometimes be seen perched on the top 

 of a tree where it watches the passerby, 

 nervously jerking its tail and uttering its 

 sharp alarm note to warn its mate on the 

 ground in the adjoining field. 



The nest is hidden under a thick bunch of 

 grass in a meadow or field. It is usually 

 arched over by pulling the nearby grass down 

 to form the cover. 



The song of the western meadowlark has a 

 greater variety of notes than that of the 

 eastern species. It has been known to 

 change its song two or three times while one 

 listened to it, some thirty or more variations 

 being recorded. It is a constant singer and 

 can be heard at any season of the year. 

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