WhenToBird

Sturnella neglecta · Icteridae

Western Meadowlark: When and Where to See It

Adult Western Meadowlark
Photo: Aiva Noringseth, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Western Meadowlark reaches New Mexico first, around mid January, and Nebraska last, around late March.

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.

Embed this map on your site

0%1%2%3%4%Jan 1-7: 1.7% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.8% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.9% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.0% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.9% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.7% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.6% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.0% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.1% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.2% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 2.6% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 2.9% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 2.9% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 3.1% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 3.0% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 3.1% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 2.9% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 2.9% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 3.3% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 3.9% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 3.8% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.5% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 3.3% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 2.9% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.4% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 1.9% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 1.8% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 1.4% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.2% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.1% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.0% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.0% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.1% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.2% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.5% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 1.9% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 2.1% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 2.2% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.4% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 2.3% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 2.2% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 2.2% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.1% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.1% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.9% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.8% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.9% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.8% 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 %
New MexicoAll year, most in springJan 15-21Apr 1-7Jul 1-79.5%
IdahoSummer visitorFeb 8-14Apr 22-30Oct 1-722%
South DakotaSummer visitorMar 1-7Jun 1-7Oct 8-1433%
MontanaSummer visitorMar 1-7May 1-7Oct 1-731%
KansasAll year, most in springMar 1-7Apr 1-7Jul 1-79.7%
IowaSummer visitorMar 1-7Jun 8-14Aug 8-142.2%
North DakotaSummer visitorMar 8-14Jun 15-21Oct 1-740%
WyomingSummer visitorMar 8-14Apr 22-30Oct 8-1433%
ColoradoAll year, most in springMar 15-21Apr 22-30Jun 22-3030%
UtahAll year, most in springMar 15-21Apr 15-21Jun 15-2118%
NevadaAll year, most in springMar 15-21May 22-31Jun 22-3011%
MinnesotaSummer visitorMar 15-21Jun 15-21Aug 8-142.5%
NebraskaAll year, most in springMar 22-31Jun 8-14Jul 15-2126%
OregonSummer visitorAug 22-31May 22-31Jul 1-711%
WashingtonSummer visitorAug 22-31May 15-21Jul 15-216.8%
TexasWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7Mar 22-313.0%
MissouriWinter visitorOct 8-14Mar 8-14Apr 8-141.1%
OklahomaWinter visitorAug 15-21Mar 8-14Jul 15-215.3%
CaliforniaWinter visitorSep 8-14Nov 1-7Apr 22-3011%
ArizonaWinter visitorSep 15-21Oct 22-31Mar 22-315.0%
HawaiiWinter visitorSep 22-30Dec 8-14Jun 15-212.7%

Winter visitor in: Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, California, Arizona, Hawaii

Summer visitor in: Oregon, Washington