The Western Meadowlark is an iconic summer resident of the Canadian prairies and intermountain grasslands. Breeding Bird Survey results indicate that the Canadian population has decreased by about 47% since 1970. This decline is likely due to habitat loss. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
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). The species overwinters in the southwestern United States and Mexico, where grassland habitats are being lost and degraded by desertification (Askins et al. 2007, Panjabi et al. 2010). Future research is needed in order to determine if habitat change on the wintering grounds has contributed to breeding ground population change.
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:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
