The
western meadowlark (
Sturnella neglecta) is a medium-sized species of bird in the family
Icteridae, the icterids. About 8.5 inches (22 centimetres) in length, it is found across western and central North America. It is a
full migrant, breeding in Canada and the United States with resident populations also found in Mexico. The species has distinctive calls described as watery or flute-like, which distinguish it from the closely related
eastern meadowlark. The western meadowlark is the
state bird of six U.S. states:
Kansas,
Montana,
Nebraska,
North Dakota,
Oregon, and
Wyoming. This western meadowlark was photographed perching on a twig in
Grasslands National Park, in the Canadian province of
Saskatchewan.
Photograph credit: Simon Pierre Barrette