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Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella magna ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: ICTERIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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Eastern Meadowlark Photo

© Kevin T. Karlson

The clear, melodious whistles of the Eastern Meadowlark are a familiar and welcome sound across farms and grasslands in eastern North America. Eastern and Western meadowlarks are closely related; the two species are very difficult to distinguish except by voice and location, but they do not readily hybridize where their ranges meet.

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Appearance

Blackbirdlike
Blackbirdlike
Typical Voice

Adult Description

  • Medium-sized stocky songbird with a short tail.
  • Throat, chest, and belly yellow.
  • Black "V" across chest.
  • Back brown and streaked.
  • Outer tail feathers white.

Immature Description

Juvenile similar to adult, but with head stripes less sharp, paler overall, and with dusky spots or flecks on chest instead of black V.

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Eastern Meadowlark Range Map
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Similar Species

  • Western Meadowlark extremely similar, but paler, with thinner black barring on wings and tail feathers, and mostly yellow mustache stripe beside the yellow throat instead of white. Songs and calls different, with the song of the Western Meadowlark being more complex and musical.