The meadowlark has been a newsmaker this summer – but not the North Dakota state bird, which is the western meadowlark. The newsmaker is its close relative – almost a twin species – the eastern meadowlark. The Red River Valley pretty much marks the western border of the eastern meadowlark’s range in the northern United States.
Once in a while, an eastern meadowlark shows up west of the river. The likelier meadowlark, by far, is the western meadowlark, which is common, though declining, across North Dakota. This year, eastern meadowlarks have been reported in unexpected numbers and in unexpected places across the state.
This may be due to closer observation by more birders who have previously explored many areas west of the valley, and perhaps also to the spread of birdwatching beyond professional ornithologists, clumped up in larger cities and mostly in college towns. More and better equipment might play a role, too, and so might gadgets, like the Merlin app described last week, which help clinch identifications. The app is available without cost from the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology.
The lab is the source of news about birds. Birders post sightings on its website, and the lab distributes a list of unexpected sightings via email. The eastern meadowlark has been prominent in the North Dakota “rare bird reports” this year.
Threats to the western meadowlark population have prompted the state to launch “the Meadowlark Initiative,” with the goal of .