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Eastern Meadowlark

Status Rare and local in summer, uncommon in winter. Breeds. It was rarely recorded in the nineteenth century but is more regular now. A few spring migrants or transients appear in late March or early April (average 11 April, earliest 24 March); a bird appearing on Sable Island on 5 March 1977 had probably been wintering in the region. It is found nesting only in the Annapolis Valley in a relatively small, restricted area of meadowland adjacent to the Annapolis River at Belleisle, a few kilometres west of Bridgetown, Annapolis County, where a few pairs of Meadowlarks have bred for the past several decades. There are few reports from elsewhere of this species during the summer months, but larger numbers appear in autumn. First arrivals since the mid 1950s have generally been in October (average 13 October, earliest 11 September). These birds occur throughout the province, although largely in the southwestern counties, especially in coastal dunes and salt marshes. Many attempt to winter; since the mid-1950s there have been reports of 3 birds in September, about 118 in October, 70 in November, 46 in December, 52 in January and 14 in February. These numbers indicate that not all survive the onslaught of winter.

Description Length: 23-28 cm. Adult male: Narrow buff line through centre of crown, bordered by black lines on either side which in turn are bordered by a buff line over eye; yellow spot in front of eye; black line running from eye to neck; back, wings and tail mottled with black and browns of various shades and densities; tail feathers pointed, the outer four on either side mostly white; throat and upper breast rich yellow; black crescent-shaped patch on the upper breast; belly rich yellow; sides of breast and flanks grayish white, streaked with black and dark brown. Adult female: Paler; black patch on breast somewhat smaller.

Breeding Nest: On the ground in hayfields; composed wholly of grass. Eggs: 4-6, usually 5; grayish white, spotted and blotched with various shades and densities of brown and purple. Laying begins early in June. On 2 July 1967 Eric Morris found a nest on the Belleisle meadows at a point about 3 km west of Bridgetown, on the north side of the Annapolis River. It contained four eggs about ready to hatch. Fraser Caldwell found three fledglings in the same area in late July 1964. Two seen at Canard, Kings County, on 11 June 1956 were definitely mated, as were two reported by Rundall M. Lewis at Upper Canard on 15 June 1945.

Range Breeds from Nova Scotia, southern Quebec, southeastern Ontario and northern Minnesota, south to Florida, southern Texas and Mexico. Winters mainly in the southern United States, casually in southeastern Canada.

Remarks The Eastern Meadowlark is no more a lark than the Common Nighthawk is a hawk—both are misnomers. This bird, along with orioles and the Bobolink, is closely related to blackbirds. When seen in flight, particularly when flushed, it is best identified by its conspicuously white outer tail feathers and its peculiar manner of propulsion, which consists of a few jerky wing beats alternated with moments of sailing on outspread wings.

In summer its food is largely insects but in winter it normally eats seeds.

The curious imbalance between normal summer and normal winter populations is without explanation. Some wintering birds are found in distress, but others appear well satisfied with their lot. One I collected on the bleak, exposed salt marsh at Boot Island, Kings County, on 7 January 1916 during forbidding weather conditions was actually fat. It had been feeding on seeds of the sea lavender (Limonium nashii), a coarse marsh plant growing there in profusion.

The species shows a marked preference for coastal, low-lying districts and I cannot recall having seen one far inland.