Eastern Meadowlark

Two Meadowlarks Arrive in St. Martins

Eastern Meadowlark [Marbeth Wilson Photo]

There have been two special visitors to St. Martins for the last week.  They are not very visible but nevertheless very welcome.  The birders from St. Martins shared that they had found an Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) in tall grass near the ocean.  Soon other birders came to see and it was discovered that there actually were two individuals.  Meadowlarks are relatively rare now in New Brunswick although that was not always the case.  I remember hearing them every spring in the 1970s and possibly into the 80s as they came back to the farms in the Fredericton area.  The last one I heard was about 10 years ago in the Hartland area.  According to 'Birds of New Brunswick: An Annotated List', they were more numerous in the 1940s and 50s and are now a rare summer resident and migrant.  

Eastern Meadowlark [Sharon Letourneau Photo]

The Eastern Meadowlark is a ground-loving Icterid (member of the blackbird family).  It would remind you of a starling in shape but just a bit larger.  It is 24 cm/9.5 in. long.  It appears heavy bodied, has a long sharp bill and short tail feathers.  It has a brown, gray and white striped back and wings, white outer tail feathers and a brilliant yellow breast with a contrasting black 'V'.  The yellow extends onto the throat.  It has yellow lores (the area anterior to the eyes) and a black line extending posterior to the eye which contrasts to the buffy face.  The top of the head is dark brown with a median beige stripe.  The flanks are a buff colour with brown streaks.  This bird is designed for camouflage!  When this species flies what one sees is a light gray and brown streaked bird with remarkable white outer-tail feathers.  

Eastern Meadowlark

The Eastern Meadowlark prefers grasslands and old fields.  The most likely way one would see one is when it perches on a fencepost, usually to sing.  Its song is a melodious 3 to 5 descending whistle sometimes interpreted as 'see you see yer'. It is a good one to remember because one is not likely to know otherwise that the bird is present.  I remember many years ago walking along the road going through Douglas and hearing a meadowlark singing from nearly every field along the line.  I wish that were the case today.

The range of this species covers the eastern half of the US mainly with small incursions into Ontario and Quebec and into NB's western border.  It breeds north of the mid-US and winters in southern US.  In the southern part of the range many are permanent residents and do not migrate.  On several trips to South Carolina in winter we saw Eastern Meadowlarks on dikes in wildlife refuges.  They were wary birds there just as they are here.

Eastern Meadowlark [Internet Photo]

The Eastern Meadowlark makes a grassy nest embellished with pine needles and animal hair.  It is a domed structure with a side entrance and built on the ground as you would expect.  Three to seven pale pink eggs with brown and lavender spots are laid and incubated for 13 to 14 days. The male helps with the incubation.  Male meadowlarks usually have two mates and sometimes even three.  They must be very busy at nesting time!  Meadowlarks feed on seeds, berries and invertebrates.  

The Eastern Meadowlark species is very divergent with up to 17 subspecies currently recognized.  Its population has declined due to habitat loss.  We have noticed this decline badly here also because we are on the fringe of its range.  An interesting fact is its Latin name, Sturnella magna, which means 'large little starling'.  It apparently was given this name because of its similarity to starlings in shape and behaviour.