In 1926, Kentucky became the first state to adopt a state bird, the Northern Cardinal, and now all states have an official bird. While the Cardinal was popular in the east, the Western Meadowlark was a favorite of the plains states. Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Oregon elevated the Western Meadowlark to second most popular state bird.
Official U.S. State Birds
Although the nation was founded in the eighteenth century, more than 130 years passed before the first state picked a bird as an official symbol. Curiously, unique birds were not the rule. Though one might think each state would prefer having its state bird to itself, only 20, like New Mexico and Arizona, actually do. Even with some 600 species to choose from, 30 states share their choice with at least one other.
The Northern Cardinal squeaked out a victory in this apparent popularity contest, with seven state adoptions. Three birds were selected by two states each, and two birds were chosen by three states each. No four states lined up together, but five picked the Northern Mockingbird, making it the third most popular. Six states put the Western Meadowlark in second place, and if Washington had followed its first inclination, the Meadowlark would have tied the Cardinal for number one.
How Six States, and almost Seven, Adopted the Western Meadowlark
On February 5, 1927, Wyoming became the first state to adopt the Western Meadowlark as its state bird, less than a year after Kentucky had made the first ever official choice. The Western Meadowlark was an excellent choice for Wyoming, with its sweeping meadows and a year-round presence of the popular bird. Five months later, in July, 1927, Oregon's governor used his proclamation powers to name the same bird as Oregon's official choice. Although Oregon is as well-known for its volcanic mountain ranges and rugged coastline as it is for its meadowlands, the Meadowlark is found year-round throughout the state.
In 1928, school children in Washington, in response to a legislative-initiated poll, overwhelmingly voted the Western Meadowlark as their choice for state bird. However, the legislature, concerned that the bird had already been selected by two states, took no action, amazingly, for 23 years. In 1951, after the Meadowlark had been named by a total of six states, it lost in a Washington runoff vote to the "Willow" (American) Goldfinch.
In the meantime, Nebraska's Legislature adopted the Western Meadowlark as their official state bird on March 22, 1929. As was the case in many states, the choice was based on the bird's selection by the state Federation of Women's Clubs, as well as by the Ornithologists Union of Nebraska. Two years passed until another state selected the Meadowlark. Nebraska is Wyoming's eastern neighbor, and Wyoming's northern neighbor, Montana, followed suit when the state legislature, based on a majority vote of Montana's school children, named the Western Meadowlark on March 14, 1931.
Nebraska's southern neighbor, Kansas, waited until 1937 to make the same selection, when the legislature acted on results of a 1925 vote by the state's school children, a poll conducted by the Kansas Audubon Society. Ten years then passed until North Dakota became the sixth and final state to choose the Western Meadowlark in 1947.
The Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta
A member of the Icteridae family, which includes grackles, orioles, cowbirds and blackbirds, the Western Meadowlark shares the genus Sturnella with his cousin the Eastern Meadowlark. Although the western bird's epithet, neglecta, means "overlooked", it is the eastern bird that was neglected as a state bird. A perfect choice for prairie states, the Meadowlark perches on bushes and fences, warbling its unmistakable and melodious song.
Found year-round in all of the adoptive states except North Dakota (summers only), the westerns co-exist with easterns in Kansas and Nebraska. Possibly the easiest way to differentiate the two is their song repertoire. Easterns sing up to 100 songs, while westerns have fewer than a dozen. Westerns are under 10 inches, heavy-bodied with a short tail and a long bill. Backs are field-camoflaged, but breeding males (February through August) are striking with a black "V" necklace on their bright yellow throat. The birds are commonly found in flocks, especially in winter.
Meadowlarks have a diet of insects and seeds, lay 3-7 eggs in grass-canopied low nests, and the eggs incubate in 2 weeks. Altricial young fledge in about 12 days.
The State Bird of Grasslands, Plains and Meadows
A more perfect official state bird is hard to picture for the states that chose the Western Meadowlark. Open grasslands, plains and meadows are the bird's preferred habitat, and all are common to these six states. In addition, the Meadowlark is beautiful, and brightens the day with its melodious song.
For related information, see the following articles:
- The Most Popular State Bird, The Northern Cardinal
- The Northern Mockingbird, Third Most Popular State Bird
- Birding the Badlands, Oregon's Newest Wilderness Area
Bob Bowers - A lifelong naturalist and amateur ornithologist, Bob's avocation is studying, photographing and writing about birds.
