14 TOH BVA UPD UB-OIN] =Be Uris iia 
sparrow, 5; red-winged blackbird, 2; cardinal, 22; pine siskin, 26; goldfinch, 
4; white-winged crossbill, 1; spotted towhee, 1; junco, 11; tree sparrow, 4; 
song sparrow, 1; total, 27 species, 183 individuals——Karl E. Bartel, Mr. 
and Mrs. Albert Campbell, Miss Leona Draheim, Mrs. Amy Baldwin. 
af mn A 
The Family Icteridae* 
By ANNA C. AMES 
3. Meadowlark. Some species or subspecies of the meadowlark is found 
in every part of the United States. The meadowlark is a plump, brown- 
streaked bird with yellow underparts and a broad black crescent on the 
breast. (I once saw one with a dickcissel throat.) The western meadow- 
lark is smaller and paler than the eastern, with a tendency to grayish- 
brown in color. Its black crescent is narrower than that of the eastern 
bird. The sexes are virtually alike in coloration, but the female is much 
smaller than the male. 
In flight the meadowlarks’ short tails display conspicuously their white 
outer feathers. It is the only one of the family, which includes blackbirds, 
bobolinks, and orioles, to have these banner marks. Upon alighting he flirts 
his tail vigorously once or twice, and shows the white marking’s again. 
Like others of his family the meadowlark is a strong walker and largely 
a bird of the ground. He never flies very high and frequently may be seen 
in characteristic pose on a fence post delivering his cheery song with head 
thrown well back. Sometimes a bird may direct from the top of a telephone 
pole the movements of its young in the grass. The fiight is leisurely, alter- 
nately fluttering and sailing. 
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 its clear and flute-like whistle rings out wita 
varying intonation and accent, but is always sweet and inspiring to all who 
are weary of winter and snow. He is said to sing “Spring of the Year.” 
In the autumn the song is more plaintive. 
The western species has a richer, fuller song that 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 of 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.” 
These birds always nest on the ground. Sometimes they tunnel a foot 
or more under the grasses before they start the nest, which usually is 
arched over. Frequently the parents approach the nest by a short covered 
*This study by Mrs. Ames, begun in the June, 1948, issue, will be continued in 
succeeding numbers until the entire family has been described. 
