MONTANA FIELD GUIDE™

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- Kingdom - Animals - Animalia
  - Phylum - Vertebrates - Craniata
    - Class - Birds - Aves
      - Order - Songbirds - Passeriformes
        
        Family - Blackbirds - Icteridae
        
        Species - Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna

Eastern Meadowlark - Sturnella magna

Native Species
Accidental Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: SNA

Agency Status
USFWS: MBTA
USFS:
BLM:
PIF:

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General Description

The Eastern Meadowlark breeds across eastern North America and is a year-round resident in the southern portion of its range (Sibley 2014). This species is also a year-round resident of central and southeastern Arizona, central New Mexico, and southwestern Texas (Jaster et al. 2012). In Montana, the Eastern Meadowlark has a few spring records over the past decade (Montana Bird Distribution Committee 2012).

For a comprehensive review of the conservation status, habitat use, and ecology of this and other Montana bird species, please see Marks et al. 2016, Birds of Montana.

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database

Data Use Terms and Conditions
Map Help and Descriptions

Number of Observations: 4
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)

Relative Density

Recency

SUMMER (Feb 16 - Dec 14)

Direct Evidence of Breeding

Indirect Evidence of Breeding

No Evidence of Breeding

WINTER (Dec 15 - Feb 15)

Regularly Observed

Not Regularly Observed

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)

Stewardship Responsibility

References

Literature Cited AboveLegend: View Online Publication
- Jaster, L.A., W.E. Jensen, and W.E. Lanyon. 2012. Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna). The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Marks, J.S., P. Hendricks, and D. Casey. 2016. Birds of Montana. Arrington, VA. Buteo Books. 659 pages.
- Montana Bird Distribution Committee. 2012. P.D. Skaar's Montana bird distribution. 7th Edition. Montana Audubon, Helena, Montana. 208 pp. + foldout map.
- Sibley, D. 2014. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY. 598 pp.
Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?
- Clawson, M.R. 199. An investigation of factors that may affect nest success in CRP lands and other grassland habitats in an agricultural landscape. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 45 p.
- Gillihan, SW. and T. VerCauteren. 2015. Pocket Guide to Prairie Birds. Brighton, CO: Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. 91 p.
- Hays, R., R.L. Eng, and C.V. Davis (preparers). 1984. A list of Montana birds. Helena, MT: MT Dept. of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
- Hobart, B.K., W.E. Moss, M.C. Cook, R.C. Nagy and V.J. McKenzie. 2026. Annual grass invasion is transforming the sagebrush biome's songbird communities. Front. Ecol. Environ. fee.70024. 22pp including supplemental data
- Joslin, Gayle, and Heidi B. Youmans. 1999. Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana. [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
- Martin, T.E. 1988. Habitat and area effects on forest bird assemblages: is nest predation an influence? Ecology 69(1):74-84.
- Pavlacky Jr., D.C., et al. 2021. Landscape-scale conservation mitigates the biodiversity loss of grassland birds. Ecological Applications e2548. 17 p.
- Ralph, J.C., J.R. Sauer, and S. Droege. 1995. Monitoring bird populations by point counts. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-149. Albany, CA: USDA Pacific Southwest Research Station. 181 p.
- Skaar, P.D. 1969. Birds of the Bozeman latilong: a compilation of data concerning the birds which occur between 45 and 46 N. latitude and 111 and 112 W. longitude, with current lists for Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, impinging Montana counties and Yellowstone National Park. Bozeman, MT. 132 p.
- Wiens, J.A. 1973. Pattern and process in grassland bird communities. Ecological Monographs 43:237-270.
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Citation for data on this website:
Eastern Meadowlark — Sturnella magna. MONTANA FIELD GUIDE™. Montana Natural Heritage Program. Retrieved on October 10, 2026, from https://FieldGuide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=ABPBXB2040