Photo: Kevin Cole from Pacific Coast, USA (en:User:Kevinlcole) / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is a member of the Icteridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 100 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Icteridae Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds
- Genus Sturnella
- Species neglecta
Where it lives
Southwestern, south-central Canada through the western USA to central Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 100 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Icteridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike (bright yellow underparts, black breast V, streaked brown upperparts); males average larger and females are slightly less strongly marked, but they are not reliably sexed by plumage in the field.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles are duller, with a paler and more weakly marked breast V.
Breeding vs non-breeding
Fresh non-breeding (fall) plumage is more muted, with the yellow breast paler and the black V veiled by buffy feather tips that wear off toward breeding.
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Western Meadowlark is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Western Meadowlark is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is a species of bird in the Icteridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw, sc Canada through the w USA to c Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 100 g, with a wing length of about 11.7 cm and a tail of around 7.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Western Meadowlark?
The Western Meadowlark is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 100 g.
Where does the Western Meadowlark live?
The Western Meadowlark is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw, sc Canada through the w USA to c Mexico, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Western Meadowlark belong to?
The Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) belongs to the Icteridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Western Meadowlark eat?
The Western Meadowlark is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Western Meadowlark migrate?
The Western Meadowlark is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Western Meadowlark endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Western Meadowlark make?
1 real field recording of the Western Meadowlark — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Western Meadowlark's range?
The Western Meadowlark has a mapped global range of about 6.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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