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Meadowlark (Eastern)

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Sturnella magna
Meadowlark (Eastern)

Range

They breed in eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada to central Minnesota south to southeast Arizona. They also can be found in some places in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They spend the winter in the southern part of their breeding range.

Habitat

They live in fields, pastures, grasslands, farms, and golf courses.

Body Traits

They are a robin-sized bird with a brown streaked back, a yellow throat and belly and a black V on their chest. They have white outer tail feathers.

Habits

They are often found singing loudly on fence posts or wires.

Diet

They eat insects, especially grasshoppers and crickets, as well as insect larvae and grubs. They feed on the ground, picking insects from the grass and even poking into the soil.

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School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Reproduction

The female builds a nest on the ground of woven grass. She lays 2-6 white eggs with speckles.

Meadowlark (Eastern)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Icteridae
Genus: Sturnella
Species: S. magna

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