Western Meadowlark
(Sturnella neglecta)

Overview

Summary

© Glen Tepke (www.pbase.com/gtepke)
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

The Western Meadowlark is an iconic summer resident of the Canadian prairies and intermountain grasslands. Breeding Bird Survey data indicate that the Canadian population has decreased by about 53% since 1970, but the rate of decrease has levelled off in the last decade. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1993-2012)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

The decline of the Western Meadowlark is thought to be related to habitat loss, both through an increase in forest habitat at the eastern edge of the range (e.g., Ontario) and to agricultural and other developments in the remainder of the range (Davis and Lanyon 2008). A strong negative relationship between hay production and grassland bird populations has been observed in several species of grassland birds (Nocera and Koslowsky 2011). However, the Western Meadowlark has also benefited from increased planted cover in prairie Canada (Watmough and Schmoll 2007, McMaster and Davis 2001).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Davis, S.K. and W.E. Lanyon. 2008. Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Davis, S.K. and W.E. Lanyon. 2008. Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• McMaster, D.G. and S.K. Davis. 2001. An evaluation of Canada’s Permanent Cover Program: habitat for grassland birds? Journal of Field Ornithology 72:195-210.
• Nocera, J.J., and H.M. Koslowsky. 2011. Population trends of grassland birds in North America are linked to the prevalence of an agricultural epizootic in Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 108:5122-5126. Nocera, J.J., and H.M. Koslowsky. 2011. Population trends of grassland birds in North America are linked to the prevalence of an agricultural epizootic in Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 108:5122-5126. (Link)
• Watmough, M.D. and M.J. Schmoll. 2007. Environment Canada’s Prairie and Northern Region Habitat Monitoring Program Phase II: Recent Habitat Trends in the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Edmonton, Alberta. 153 pp.