Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Also known as: Missouri Meadowlark
About This Species
Listen for this grassland bird's rich, gurgling, flute-like song, often delivered from a fence post, shrub or the top of a tall forb in open prairie and farmland. It forages on the ground for insects and seeds and is most easily located by song during spring and early summer mornings. Open rangeland, pastures and roadside grasslands in the western and central regions, scanned at dawn, give the best chance of a sighting.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Stay on paths or field edges rather than walking through grassland, since this species nests on the ground in a well-concealed cup that is easily trampled or flushed by a close approach.
- Wild bird nests are protected by law across its range, and ground-nesting grassland birds are especially vulnerable to disturbance during the breeding season.
- If a bird is singing persistently from one area or acting agitated, it likely has a nearby nest, and the best practice is to move on rather than search for it.
LCAvesPasseriformesIcteridae
Seasonal Activity
2,246,299 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Icteridae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.