Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

Abundance: Occasional; 1 record in each of 2 Regional counties, 1 in Kentucky and 1 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population wintering in the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Visitor during winter (2 records); photographs (see links below) and video/audio recording (Edmund K. LeGrand; Putnam County, Tennessee; 22 February 2009).

Information on Records:

14/22 February 2009 (1—singing male) Hickey Ridge Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman/Stephen J. Stedman, Edmund K. LeGrand photo and video/audio recording (see Status above), Judy C. Fuson photo, Carol D. Williams photo), a Great Backyard Bird Count record [first date].

22 January 2010 (1) Smith Rd. # 1, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo).

Remarks: The best identification feature during winter is the song (and probably one or more diagnostic call notes), but extremely pale dorsal coloration (compared with darker dorsal coloration of Eastern Meadowlark) also acts as a good indicator of this species; when viewed at close range, several other field marks point toward this species.

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Literature Cited