152 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 73 



Central Plain. Documented nesting records exist from St. Croix and Pierce 

 counties. The eastern meadowlark probably nests in the remainder of the 

 Valley. Breeding Bird Survey data (Table 7) demonstrate a marked in- 

 crease in relative abundance moving eastward from the St. Croix River. 

 These population indices range from an average of 3.4 per year on the 

 Hudson BBS (St. Croix County), to 22.7 per year on the Loraine BBS (Polk 

 County). 



Winter: Several winter records exist for this species, primarily from Wash- 

 ington County. These records include one on the St. Paul Suburban CBC 

 30 December 1961 and two on this count 30 December 1972. There are two 

 winter records from Wisconsin: three birds that I netted on 16 January 1975 

 in Pierce County and one bird near Deronda. Polk County, during the 

 1947-48 winter (Robbins 19486). 



Habitat: Eastern meadowlarks occupy a variet}^ of grassland habitats in- 

 cluding domestic hayfields. retired croplands, remnants of oak savannah 

 habitats, overgrazed pasture. Old Field Communities, and drier portions of 

 Shrub Carr wetlands. 



Western Meadowlark [Sturnella neglecta) 



Status: Regular migrant, nesting species, and winter resident. 



Migration: Common to abundant migrant in the Western Upland and 

 Central Plain, fairly common in the Northern Highland. Spring migrants 

 arrive in the W^estern Upland 5-10 March and reach the Northern Highland 

 25 March to 5 April. Peak abundance occurs 25 March to 15 April. Fall 

 migration begins in mid- August in the Northern Highland and by 1 Sep- 

 tember elsewhere. Peak abundance occurs 20 September to 20 October and 

 departure by 1 November: occasional stragglers remain to 1 December. 



Nesting Season Distribution: Common to locally abundant breeding species 



in all regions. Breeding Bird Survey data (Table 7) demonstrate a marked in- 

 crease in relative abundance westward through the Valley. Average num- 

 bers recorded per route range from < 1 in Douglas County (Minong BBS) 

 and 32.2 in Polk County (Loraine BBS) to 133.7 in St. Croix County (Hudson 

 BBS). This trend in breeding population distribution is the reverse of the 

 eastern meadowlark. 



Winter: Meadowlarks are fairly regular during winter months in the 

 Western Upland. Many of these records are probably referable to western 

 meadowlark: however, plumages are similar to the eastern meadowlark. 

 which confounds identification. 



Habitat: Highest density breeding populations occur in retired croplands 

 and Managed Grasslands where characteristic vegetation includes timothy, 

 brome grass, quack grass, and intermediate wheat grass. Nesting western 

 meadowlarks also use heavily grazed pastures. Hayland, remnant prairie 

 associated with oak savannah, and Old Field Communities. In the Central 

 Plain and Northern Highland, nesting pairs occasionally occupy drier por- 

 tions of Northern Sedge Meadow. 



