Starting on the Troupials and Allies (Family Icteridae - Blackbird Family) this week as I work toward the last of the Passerines. A diverse Family with 30 Genera and 106 species in the Americas (23 in North America).

Both Eastern and Western Meadowlarks are found in our area - more common at the Tallgrass Prairie. Here I show two Eastern Meadowlarks. Turns out the photos of Westerns show mostly rump shots (social comment?). Their ranges overlap, but they do not seem to get along. They are so similar that I need to hear the song to ID.

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Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)

A meadowlark wanders around an open grass area for bugs.

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Attitude, Get Some

This Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) appears mid-proclamation, its open beak and lifted posture suggesting a spirited objection or urgent dispatch.

Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

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The Calling Ground

I came across this Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) a few years ago, quite by chance. At first, I spotted two—one perched atop a traffic sign, the other on the ground—but later I realized there were actually three. I was driving home from a casual photo outing at a nearby lake when their bright plumage caught my eye. I pulled over, blocking a quiet side road, and quickly reached for my camera.

Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

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Cry on the Stones

This is one of two eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) I spotted a couple of years ago near a road intersection. I previously shared a photo of one perched on a road sign—though I’m not sure if this is the same bird. This one walked across the road, evoking a kind of Abbey Road moment, meadowlark-style.

Much later, while reviewing the full set of photographs, I began to suspect there were actually three meadowlarks. One appeared to be partially hidden in a low patch of dried grasses. Maybe the whole commotion was about that third bird—possibly a youngster, tucked away and drawing the attention of the others.

Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more.

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Traffic Stopper.

I took a short trip out to Alligator Lake on Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk) and came back with a few decent photos—mostly turtles, sunning themselves like tiny armored buoys. But the real surprise came on the way home, when I spotted an Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) perched on a road sign near an intersection, singing its heart out.

I pulled over, blocking the right lane of a side road, and snapped a few quick shots through the windshield, just in case it spooked when I opened the door. But it wasn’t all that skittish—and to my surprise, there were actually two of them. I ended up taking a bunch of photos.

“The Eastern Meadowlark is not in the lark family (Alaudidae)—it’s a member of the blackbird family (Icteridae), which also includes cowbirds and orioles.” — allaboutbirds.org

If you enjoy wildlife and nature photography, check out my photo gallery here:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

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Meadowlark Among the Grasses

"This is an eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna).

I've received several inquiries about how to get prints of my photographs. Photography is a hobby for me, so I haven't been equipped to handle those requests—until now. I enjoy what I'm doing and want to share my photographs with you.

To make things easier, I've set up an account and website with Pixels. You can visit my website at:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

If you want a print of one of my photographs, you can get it there. If I haven't uploaded the photo you're interested in, let me know which one it is, and I'll gladly add it for you.

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No Crossing

This eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) is about to cross a double yellow line. Yikes!

"The sweet, lazy whistles of Eastern Meadowlarks waft over summer grasslands and farms in eastern North America. The birds themselves sing from fenceposts and telephone lines or stalk through the grasses, probing the ground for insects with their long, sharp bills. On the ground, their brown-and-black dappled upperparts camouflage the birds among dirt clods and dry grasses. But up on perches, they reveal bright-yellow underparts and a striking black chevron across the chest." - allaboutbirds.org

Check out my photo gallery at:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

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What Did I Miss

This photograph is a bit fuzzy, particularly the bird in the foreground.

I was driving home from a local lake one morning a few months ago, when I spotted two eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), one was up high perched on a road sign, and one was on the ground, both were squawking. I pulled over and started taking pictures of them. It wasn't until this morning, that I noticed this photo and am now wondering, were there three, one that I didn't, see? Maybe the third bird was what had the other two, to appear so agitated.

I don't post all of the photos that I post here to my Pixels gallery, but I post the photos I like best. Some don't make the cut. I usually wait a couple of days and see how I feel about it then.

You can check out my gallery at:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

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Yellow Tux.

“Sun-kissed elegance: An Eastern Meadowlark dons its vibrant yellow plumage.” - Copilot

This photo of an eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) looks to me like it is wearing a yellow tux and black shirt, or perhaps the yellow is a vest. The bird looks like somebody strolling around with his hands behind his back.

"The Eastern Meadowlark is not in the lark family (Alaudidae)—it’s a member of the blackbird family (Icteridae), which also includes cowbirds and orioles." - allaboutbirds.org

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