Which Animal Is The Ancestor Of The Western Meadowlark Bird

Medium sized bird of Northward America with distinctive yellowish breast

Western meadowlark
Vocal
Conservation status
To the lowest degree Business (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific nomenclature
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Form:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family unit:	Icteridae
Genus:	Sturnella
Species:	Due south. neglecta
Binomial name
Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844
Range of S. neglecta  Breeding range  Twelvemonth-circular range  Wintering range

The western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is a medium-sized icterid bird, about eight.5 in (22 cm) in length. It nests on the ground in open up grasslands across western and central North America. It feeds more often than not on bugs, but will too feed on seeds and berries. The western meadowlark has distinctive calls described every bit watery or flute-like, which distinguish information technology from the closely related eastern meadowlark. The western meadowlark is the state bird of vi states: Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, N Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

Taxonomy [edit]

The western meadowlark was formally described in 1844 by the American ornithologist John James Audubon under its current binomial name Sturnella neglecta.^[2] The specific epithet is from the Latin neglectus meaning "ignored", "overlooked", "neglected" or "disregarded".^[3] Audubon explained that although the account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803–1806 mentioned yellow larks, these had never been formally described.^{[2] [4]} The blazon locality is Old Fort Union, North Dakota.^[5]

Two subspecies are recognised:^[6]

• S. n. neglecta Audubon, 1844 – southwest, southward central Canada through the due west USA (except coastal Pacific Northwest) to central Mexico
• S. n. confluenta Rathbun, 1917 – coastal southwest Canada and northwest USA (southwest British Columbia to Oregon)

Western meadowlarks will occasionally interbreed with eastern meadowlarks where their ranges overlap; however, resulting young announced to have depression fertility.^[7]

Description [edit]

Western meadowlark adults have yellow underparts with a black "Five" on the chest and white flanks streaked with blackness. Their upper parts are more often than not chocolate-brown, but also take black streaks. These birds accept long, pointed bills and their heads are striped with light chocolate-brown and black bands.

Measurements:^[8]

• Length: 6.iii–10.2 in (xvi–26 cm)
• Weight: 3.1–4.1 oz (88–116 1000)
• Wingspan: 16.ane inches (41 cm)

These birds accept a flute-similar warbled song. These calls contrast with the simple, whistled telephone call of the eastern meadowlark.

Distribution and habitat [edit]

The breeding habitats of western meadowlarks are grasslands, prairies, pastures, and abandoned fields, all of which may exist constitute across western and central North America, every bit far s as northern United mexican states. In regions where their range overlaps with the eastern species, these birds prefer thinner, drier vegetation; the 2 blazon of birds more often than not do not interbreed but do defend territory confronting one some other. Their nests are situated on the ground and are covered with a roof woven from grass. At that place may be more than one nesting female in a male'southward territory. Nests are sometimes destroyed past mowing operations with eggs and young in them.

Western meadowlarks are permanent residents throughout much of their range. Northern birds may migrate to the southern parts of their range; some birds as well move e in the southern Usa.

Behaviour and ecology [edit]

Convenance [edit]

The nest is built by the female shortly after arrival on the breeding grounds. The nest is placed in a concealed location on the ground. It is variable in grade and ranges from a uncomplicated loving cup to a partially roofed structure with a runway extending from the nest archway. Eggs are laid at daily intervals. Incubation but begins later on the last egg is laid. The eggs measure on boilerplate 28 mm × 21 mm (1.x in × 0.83 in) and have brown spots and blotches on a white ground. The eggs hatch over a period of 1 or two days afterward being incubated by the female for 13–fifteen days. The young are altricial and nigh naked; their eyes are closed until the quaternary day. Simply the female person broods the chicks. The nestlings are almost exclusively fed insects. The male brings food to the nest which is then unremarkably fed to the chicks by the female. The young fledge at 10-12 twenty-four hour period simply are merely capable of sustained flight at around 21 days. The young receive parental intendance for around 2 weeks after fledging. A second brood is attempted.^[9]

The nests are parasitized past brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater).^[9]

Nutrient and feeding [edit]

These birds fodder on the ground or in low to semi-low vegetation. They sometimes search for food by probing with their bills. They mainly eat insects, although they will consume seeds and berries. In winter, these birds oft feed in flocks.

Relationship to humans [edit]

The western meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. The northern cardinal, which represents seven states, is the only bird to hold the status of state bird in more states.

During the 2017 regular session of the Oregon Legislature, at that place was a short-lived controversy over the western meadowlark'south status as state bird versus the osprey. The sometimes-spirited argue included state representative Rich Vial playing the meadowlark'south song on his smartphone over the House microphone.^[x] A compromise was reached in SCR 18,^[11] which was passed on the final twenty-four hours of the session, designating the western meadowlark as the country songbird and the osprey equally the land raptor.

References [edit]

1. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Sturnella neglecta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22724256A132173994. doi:x.2305/IUCN.Britain.2018-two.RLTS.T22724256A132173994.en . Retrieved xix February 2022.
2. ^ ^{a b} Audubon, John James (1844). "Missouri Meadow-lark". The Birds of America, from drawings made in the United states of america and their territories. Vol. 7. New York: J.B. Chevalier. pp. 339–341, Plate 489.
3. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 267. ISBN978-1-4081-2501-iv.
4. ^ Allen, Paul; M'Vickar, Archibald, eds. (1843). History of the expedition nether the command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the sources of the Missouri, thence across the Rocky Mountains and down the river Columbia to the Pacific Bounding main : performed during the years 1804, 1805, 18066 by order of the government of the United States. Vol. 1. New York: Harper and Brothers. p. 236.
5. ^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 180–181.
6. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Oropendolas, orioles, blackbirds". IOC Earth Bird List Version 10.ii. International Ornithologists' Matrimony. Retrieved nine October 2020.
7. ^ Jaramillo, Alvaro; Peter Burke (1999). New World Blackbirds: The Icterids. London: Christopher Helm. p. 305. ISBN0-7136-4333-1.
8. ^ "Western Meadowlark Identification, All Nearly Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org . Retrieved 2020-09-xxx .
9. ^ ^{a b} Davis, S.K.; Lanyon, Due west.E. (2020). Poole, A.F. (ed.). "Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), version 1.0". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved ten Oct 2020.
10. ^ "Lawmakers adjourn 2017 session with mixed results for biggest priorities". OregonLive.com . Retrieved October fifteen, 2017.
11. ^ "SCR eighteen". state.or.us . Retrieved October fifteen, 2017.

External links [edit]

• Xeno-canto: sound recordings of the western meadowlark
• Western meadowlark – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Western meadowlark – Sturnella neglecta – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
• "Western meadowlark media". Internet Bird Collection.
• Western meadowlark photograph gallery at VIREO (Drexel Academy)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_meadowlark

Posted by: petershilestered.blogspot.com

Share this post