Western Meadowlark Bird – Passerines – 6/23/2014

The Western Meadowlark was photographed at Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area in Montana.

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The Western Meadowlark is a chunky brown speckled brown bird with a bright yellow throat and breast with a black V on the breast. It has a short tail with a patch of white on each side. It is paler than the Eastern Meadowlark. The cheek is yellow that differentiates it for the eastern Meadowlark. It has a range from southwest Canada and the western half of the United States to central Mexico. It has a habitat of open fields, pastures, meadows, and prairies. It is usually not first seen, but heard by a guttural chatter that is a distinctive sound. Its diet consists of mostly insects and seeds by foraging while walking on the ground.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Eastern Meadowlark

 

 

Western Kingbird Bird – Passerines – 6/1/2013

This Western Kingbird was photographed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma shortly after the Moore, Oklahoma tornado.

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The Western Kingbird has a pale gray head and back, a brownish gray wings, a black tail with a narrow white side edging, and a yellowish belly. The range is SW Canada, western US, to northern Mexico. It has a habitat of farms, open country with scattered trees, roadside, fences, and wires. It is often seen perched on roadside feces, fences, and wires. Its diet is mostly insects, and it can be seen flying out to snap up insects from its perch. It can be found in open country and has adapted to advancing civilization.