28 T HE AU DiU Bro Ne BU, DEE eee 
The Meadowlark 
By ANNA C. AMES 
SOME SPECIES OR sub-species of the Meadowlark is found in every part of 
the United States. It is a plump, brown-streaked bird with a broad, black 
V on its yellow breast. (I once saw one with a Dickcissel throat.) Western 
and Eastern species are barely distinguishable from each other. The West- 
ern is somewhat smaller and paler, with a tendency to grayish brown in- 
stead of reddish brown, and the bars on its inner wing feathers, rump, and 
tail are not connected along the shaft. The black crescent of the Western 
bird is narrower than that of the Eastern. The sexes are practically alike 
in coloration, but the female is smaller. 
The Meadowlark is something of an individualist, but never really soli- 
tary. It is sociable but not gregarious. It never flies in flocks. Many may be 
seen feeding together in the meadows, but not in close clusters. Sometimes 
a group will gather and sing for an hour or two. 
The Meadowlark frequents open fields throughout its range except in 
Southern Georgia, where it is common in the open pine woods. In flight the 
short tail displays conspicuous, white outer feathers. The Meadowlark is 
the only one of the family Icteridae which has these banner marks. Upon 
alighting, the bird flirts its tail vigorously once or twice, and thus shows 
the white markings again. The bird flies with stiff wings, an alternate 
flapping and gliding flight. 
Like others of his family, except the orioles, the Meadowlark is a strong 
walker and rarely leaves the ground except to take a perch from which to 
sing. He never flies very high. Sometimes, as I have seen happen, a parent 
bird at the top of a telephone pole may direct the movements of its young 
in the grass. 
The song, which varies with the season, is rather easy to imitate. In 
the winter its peculiar lisping, long, and rather melancholy note is heard 
at short intervals. In the spring a clear and flute-like whistle rings out 
with varying intonation and accent, always sweet and inspiring to those 
who are weary of winter and snow. The Meadowlark is said to sing, “spring 
of the year!” In the autumn the song is more plaintive. 
The Western species has a richer, fuller song than the Eastern, with, as 
Dr. Roberts has said, “a ringing quality not possessed by any forest-en- 
compassed bird.” The Chicago area is fortunate in having both if these 
birds. The male birds sing more or less from March to November. Dr. Frank 
Chapman distinguishes thus between the call notes of Eastern and Western 
Meadowlarks: “The call of the Western Meadowlark is a chuck, chuck, 
followed by a wooden, rolling brrrrr, wholly unlike the sharp dzit or yert 
and metallic twitter of the Eastern.” 
Meadowlark nests are invariably flush with the ground and arched over 
with grass stems, with a small opening at the side. Sometimes the birds 
tunnel a foot or more under the grass before they start the nest, in which 
grasses are used almost exclusively. Frequently the parents alight at some 
distance from the nest and walk quietly through the grass. The four to 
six white eggs are speckled with brown and purple. A second nesting often 
occurs. Usually the Meadowlark is monogamous, 
Throughout the year insects make up 73% of the bird’s food, grain 15%, 
and weed seeds 12%. During the insect season, insects constitute over 90% 
of the food supply. The Meadowlark is a hardy bird, not strictly migratory, 
as some birds remain in the northern states all winter. The ranges of the 
