His beautifully flecked plumage is complemented by a radiant yellow chest with a highly distinctive black V.

Meet the Eastern meadowlark

The eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), is a medium-sized icterid bird very similar in appearance to the western meadowlark. Adults have a yellow breast and belly with a pronounced black “V” on the chest, along with white flanks flecked with black streaks. Their backs are mainly brown with black streaks.

The bill is long and pointed, the head is light brown and black.

Females of this species are smaller than their male counterparts, juveniles are brown flecked with darker brown-black plumage.

This species is found from eastern North America all the way down to South America, though it is most widespread in eastern areas of the continent.

Eastern meadowlark likes to inhabit open fields and pastures where there are scattered trees and bushes. It likes to remain near the ground where it can bend or fly low, often hiding in vegetation when threatened.

This bird feeds on the ground where it looks for insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, as well as larvae and grubs.

Their breeding habitat is grasslands, prairie, pastures, and hayfields. Nesting occurs throughout summer when a nest is built on the ground by the female and covered with a roof of woven grass. Two to six eggs are laid within and incubated by the female, with the possibility of more than one nesting female in a male’s territory.

Though numbers of the global populations are not known, this species is thought to approach the thresholds for population decline criterion. This is mainly due to this bird’s huge range.

Watch and listen to this bird right here below: