WhenToBird

Sturnella magna · Icteridae

Eastern Meadowlark: When and Where to See It

Adult Eastern Meadowlark
Photo: Matt Schultz, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

The Eastern Meadowlark reaches West Virginia first, around late January, and Alabama last, around late April.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 1.4% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.3% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.4% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.4% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.6% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.5% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.4% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.0% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.3% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.7% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 3.0% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 3.7% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.9% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 4.2% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 4.0% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 4.0% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 4.0% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 3.6% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 3.7% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.9% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 4.2% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 4.0% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.7% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.5% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 3.3% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.9% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.5% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.0% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.6% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.2% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.9% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.6% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.5% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.5% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.6% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.9% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.4% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 1.7% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.0% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 2.0% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 1.9% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.7% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.6% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.5% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.4% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.3% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.4% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.4% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
West VirginiaSummer visitorJan 22-31May 22-31Oct 15-2111%
IllinoisSummer visitorFeb 15-21Jun 8-14Aug 1-713%
TennesseeAll year, most in springFeb 15-21Mar 22-31Jul 15-2113%
OhioSummer visitorFeb 15-21Jun 8-14Aug 1-79.2%
MarylandSummer visitorFeb 15-21Jun 1-7Aug 8-144.1%
KentuckyAll year, most in springFeb 22-28Apr 1-7Jul 8-1415%
ArkansasAll year, most in springFeb 22-28Apr 1-7Jul 22-3114%
IowaSummer visitorMar 1-7Apr 15-21Jul 22-3118%
MissouriAll year, most in springMar 1-7Apr 1-7Jul 15-2115%
NebraskaSummer visitorMar 1-7Apr 15-21Oct 8-1413%
WisconsinSummer visitorMar 1-7Jun 8-14Jul 22-318.4%
MichiganSummer visitorMar 1-7Jun 8-14Jul 15-216.7%
PennsylvaniaSummer visitorMar 1-7Jun 1-7Aug 1-74.5%
New YorkSummer visitorMar 8-14Jun 8-14Aug 1-73.0%
KansasAll year, most in springMar 15-21Jun 1-7Jul 22-3125%
MinnesotaSummer visitorMar 15-21Jun 8-14Jul 22-314.6%
MaineSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 22-30Jul 15-211.1%
VermontSummer visitorApr 1-7May 8-14Jul 15-211.9%
AlabamaAll year, most in summerApr 22-30May 15-21Jul 22-318.7%
OklahomaSummer visitorSep 15-21Apr 8-14Aug 1-715%
LouisianaSummer visitorSep 15-21May 8-14Aug 1-77.9%
MississippiSummer visitorSep 22-30May 15-21Aug 1-77.8%
VirginiaSummer visitorSep 22-30Jun 8-14Aug 8-148.9%
FloridaSummer visitorSep 22-30Jun 8-14Aug 15-214.3%
GeorgiaSummer visitorSep 22-30May 8-14Aug 8-144.4%
North CarolinaSummer visitorOct 1-7May 22-31Aug 8-146.5%
South CarolinaSummer visitorOct 1-7May 22-31Aug 1-74.3%
MassachusettsSummer visitorOct 1-7Jun 8-14Aug 8-141.6%
DelawareSummer visitorOct 8-14Jun 15-21Jul 22-312.4%
IndianaSummer visitorDec 8-14Jun 1-7Aug 8-1410%
New JerseyWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 15-21Aug 1-73.3%
ConnecticutWinter visitorOct 1-7Oct 15-21Nov 22-301.3%
Rhode IslandWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Apr 1-71.6%
TexasWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 8-14Jul 15-216.6%
District of ColumbiaWinter visitorSep 22-30Oct 15-21Nov 22-303.9%

Winter visitor in: New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Texas, District of Columbia

Summer visitor in: Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Delaware, Indiana