Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)

Photo by Juan Zamora

The Eastern Meadowlark, with its bright yellow breast marked by a distinctive black chevron, is a grassland bird. Meadowlarks live and breed in native grasslands, pastures, and savannas, as well as hay and alfalfa fields, weedy borders of croplands, roadsides, orchards, golf courses, reclaimed strip mines, airports, shrubby overgrown fields, or other open areas.

Although they occupy a very large range, Eastern Meadowlarks are in decline due to destruction of their grassland habitat by urbanization and intensive agricultural practices. Other human activities, such as mowing during the breeding season, may destroy their nests and young. There may be unusually heavy mortality during severe winters.

Their conservation status has been assessed by BirdLife International as Near Threatened.

An Eastern Meadowlark occupies a territory of seven to eight acres and requires a grassland patch of 40 acres or more, so most suburban homeowners are unlikely to observe them in their yards. However, those whose properties are larger and open or connect to larger grassy acreages can take steps to preserve and create habitat for Eastern Meadowlarks.

What Eastern Meadowlarks Need How Can We Help
Food and Water:Eastern Meadowlarks feed on the ground, mostly insects, such as crickets and grasshoppers or (in spring) caterpillars and grubs. They eat grass and weed seeds in winter.
  • Preserve native grasses and forbs in existing grasslands and plant them in degraded open habitats, such as mine reclamation areas and landfills.
  • Support insect populations by avoiding use of pesticides.
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    Shelter: Eastern Meadowlarks rely upon their camouflage and ability to hide in grass for protection from predators.
  • Preserve tall, dense native grasses and other vegetation to provide cover and perching sites.
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    Nesting: Females build their nests on the ground, often in dense, tall vegetation in a shallow depression. The nest is well-concealed, built out of dried grasses and plant stems. Females incubate eggs for about two weeks, and nestlings fledge about a week and a half after they hatch. Fledglings depend on their parents to feed them for another two weeks. It takes the female about 100 trips per day to feed the young the insects they require.
  • Avoid mowing hayfields and pastures during nesting season.
  • Meadowlarks are extremely sensitive to the presence of humans in their breeding territory. A female flushed from her nest during incubation invariably aborts the nest. Disturbance near nests with young is less likely to cause desertion, but adults become wary, secretive, and will delay visits to the nest.
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    Other Threats:
  • Predation: Eastern Meadowlarks are vulnerable to predation by hawks. Incubating or brooding birds and their young may be killed by domestic cats, dogs, foxes, and skunks.
  • Loss of grassland habitat due to development or agricultural cultivation, or due to succession from fields to woodlands when farms are abandoned.
  • Agricultural practices such as early mowing and use of pesticides and other contaminants. Intensive agriculture is likely a major contributor to population declines.
  • Keep domestic dogs and cats away from nesting areas.
  • Preserve existing native grasslands, especially large patches of 30 acres or more. Increase acreage in pasture, hayfields, and grasslands.
  • Delay mowing of pastures and fields until August to avoid destroying nests and young. See Field management guidelines from Virginia Working Landscapes for further information on best practices for protecting grassland and shrubland birds, including Eastern Meadowlark.
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    Where to See Model Habitat and Observation Sites:

    Meadowood Recreation Area

    Check out Meadowlark observations near you:

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