Bird Album
Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella magna (Linnaeus, 1758)
92 gWeight
The eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) is a medium-sized icterid bird, very similar in appearance to its sister species, the western meadowlark.
Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United States, Canada, Belize
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United States, Canada, Belize
Eastern Meadowlark has been recorded at 779 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 17 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Jocelyn Nungaray NWR (Anahuac)United States6,848 records
- Hagerman NWRUnited States5,976 records
- Muskegon Wastewater SystemUnited States5,777 records
More places
- Mid Pines Rd.United States4,662 records
- Brandon Farm & Taff Rd.United States4,396 records
- Babcock-Webb WMAUnited States4,005 records
- Guilford County Farm/Howerton Rd.United States3,933 records
- Pole FarmUnited States3,748 records
- Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park – Darby Plains Wet Prairie RestorationUnited States3,713 records
- Joe Overstreet Rd. and LandingUnited States3,462 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) is a medium-sized icterid bird, very similar in appearance to its sister species, the western meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to northern South America, where it is also most widespread in the east. The Chihuahuan meadowlark was formerly considered to be conspecific with the eastern meadowlark.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Eastern Meadowlark?
The Eastern Meadowlark weighs around 92 g.
Where does the Eastern Meadowlark live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America, South America: southeastern Canada to northeastern Brazil. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Belize.
When is the best time to see the Eastern Meadowlark?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Eastern Meadowlark endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Eastern Meadowlark as Near Threatened.
What does the Eastern Meadowlark eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Eastern Meadowlark in?
It belongs to the family Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds (Icteridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Weight
- 92 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
More measurements
- Wing
- 108 mm
- Tail
- 67 mm
- Bill
- 34 mm
- Tarsus
- 40 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America, South America: southeastern Canada to northeastern Brazil
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds Icteridae
- Genus
- Sturnella
Other birds in the genus Sturnella
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglecta
Chihuahuan MeadowlarkSturnella lilianae
Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
Yellow-headed BlackbirdXanthocephalus xanthocephalus
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
Red-breasted MeadowlarkLeistes militaris
White-browed MeadowlarkLeistes superciliaris
Peruvian MeadowlarkLeistes bellicosus
Long-tailed MeadowlarkLeistes loyca
Pampas MeadowlarkLeistes defilippii
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ingrid Macedo. ↗
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