The Blackbird Family 



339 



FIG. 211. Young western meadowlark. 



Finley & Bohlman 



gets more than its share of the food and, after a time, 

 crowds the others out or causes their starvation. In 

 this manner cowbirds are a serious hindrance to the 

 increase of many kinds of useful birds, and so do not 

 deserve protection. Their eggs are speckled and spotted 

 with brown on a soiled white background, which often 

 has a greenish tinge. The eggs are about of an inch 

 long and f of an inch broad. 



The meadowlark. The meadowlark is a trifle longer 

 than the robin. Its upper parts are brown, streaked 

 and barred with black; the breast is yellow, with a 

 broad, black, V-shaped collar. The white on the sides 

 of the tail shows as the birds fly. Oftentimes, after 

 taking a number of wing strokes, they will sail for quite 

 a distance before alighting. In grassy fields throughout 

 most of the United States they are very common in 



