It truly feels like springtime when I hear the flutelike melody of the Western Meadowlark. This strikingly colorful member of the blackbird family can be seen sporting a vibrant yellow breast with a distinct black V-shaped band by their neck. Their backs are intricately patterned with brown and black colors.

The males can easily be spotted singing upon a fence post near grasslands, meadows, and pastures. They are an iconic bird to the Great Plains and western grasslands. These habitats are perfect for their foraging behavior. During the winter and early spring, they are foraging for grain, and during the fall, for weed seeds. However, during late spring and summer they switch to foraging and probing the ground for a variety of insects. Occasionally they eat the eggs of other grassland bird species, and during hard winters they will take advantage of easy meals like roadkill.
I have always been fascinated by these flamboyant and popular birds. Six states have the Western Meadowlark as their state bird including: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. While I was growing up, I spotted them in my backyard in the spring and summertime, but when winter rolled in they disappeared. I always wondered where they traveled. Some sources say they are short-distant migrants; others label them as resident to medium-distant migrants.
Click here to view a map showing the range of Western Meadowlarks in North America from Cornell Lab’s “All About Birds” online guide to birds and birdwatching. Map data are provided by NatureServe in collaboration with Robert Ridgely, James Zook, The Nature Conservancy – Migratory Bird Program, Conservation International – CABS, World Wildlife Fund – US, and Environment Canada – WILDSPACE.
This winter I was greatly surprised when I looked out my back window and saw 30 – 40 Western Meadowlarks! Some were sitting atop the fence and some on the ground moving among the grass and pasture area. It was the first time I had noticed Meadowlarks around in the winter, and I was thinking to myself they should be farther south by now. Research on this species and where they migrate is poorly known.
However, if the winters are mild, Meadowlarks will stay in their breeding areas and take advantage of food resources. They can be seen in flocks together next to cultivated fields, grasslands, or on the shoulders of rural roads. So next time you’re out exploring the winter landscape, remember to look for the flash of yellow! You might just be rewarded with a sighting of the beautiful and adaptable Western Meadowlark.
Citations:
- “Western Meadowlark Life History.” All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Meadowlark/lifehistory. Accessed 13 January 2025.
- “Western Meadowlark.” Audubon, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/western-meadowlark. 7 December 2024.