Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 7.5–10.2 in
19–26 cm - Wingspan
- 13.8–15.7 in
35–40 cm - Weight
- 3.2–5.3 oz
90–150 g
Other Names
- Sturnelle des prés (French)
- Triguera común (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- A male Eastern Meadowlark typically has two mates at a time, rarely three.
- Up to 17 subspecies of Eastern Meadowlark are recognized by taxonomists.
- The Eastern Meadowlark is not a lark (family Alaudidae) but rather a member of the family Icteridae, along with blackbirds and orioles.
Habitat
Grassland
Grasslands, pastures, and hayfields, as well as croplands, golf courses, and other open habitat.
Food
Insects
Insects, especially grasshoppers and crickets, as well as insect larvae and grubs.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- White, with variable speckles or spots.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sparse down.
Nest Description
Nest, constructed by female alone, is built on the ground of grasses woven into surrounding vegetation. Structure varies; nest often has an arch or roof, and sometimes has a runway leading to the opening.
Nest Placement
Ground
© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Behavior
Ground Forager
Feeds on the ground, picking insects from the surface and also probing in the soil.
Conservation
Least Concern
Declining drastically throughout most of range, probably because of habitat loss.
Credits
- Lanyon, W. E. 1995. Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna). In The Birds of North America, No. 160 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.