Males arrive to the mating ground in early spring, and females arrive 2 to 3 weeks later. The Sturnella magna can be found from eastern United States to southeastern Canada to northern parts of South America. Kurzejeski. Burger, W. Loren. Knowing which habitats meadowlarks use at different times of year is critical for developing best management practices that support populations throughout the full annual cycle. Sturnella magna has become increasingly dependent on human altered grasslands for nesting (Warren). COSEWIC assessment and status report Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella. In winter, Eastern is more likely to be alone, rather than in a flock, and favors more extensive, pristine grasslands than Western. In the winter, those individuals living in the northern-most portions of the breeding range will migrate to southern areas in order to forage. Adults usually range in size from 7.5-10.2 inches, with the males being slightly larger than females. Therefore, land-use practices providing suitable nesting habitat should be encouraged, particularly increased acreage in pasture, hay fields, and natural grasslands. The Sturnella magna call is a whistle (Pfannmuller). “eastern meadowlark nest- eggs.” Flickr, June 25, 2010, . The female may have two broods in a nesting season depending on the success of the first brood. Singing is also used to attract mates and to establish territory (Eastern Meadowlark Life history). Eastern Meadowlarks have a variety of vocal communications, and each type serves a different purpose. Predation from other species is most common in upland thickets than in wetlands or pastures (Picman). “Sturnella magna” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Animal predation is proven to be the number one reason why nests fail (Granfors). Infrared images like the one above can help scientists detect meadowlark nests that are otherwise difficult to identify underneath tall grasses. Conservation Programs have begun to help restore Eastern Meadowlark numbers. Territory for the species is also disappearing due to forest growth from lack of forest fires (COSEWIC). In winter, Eastern is more likely to be alone, rather than in a flock, and favors more extensive, pristine grasslands than Western. Emeritus Senior Scientist, Migratory Bird Center Northern birds will migrate south for the winter (New Jersey Endangered and Threatened Species Field Guide). Eastern Meadowlark nests are cup shaped and woven with dead grasses, plant stems, and bark strips (Eastern Meadowlark Life history). The diet shifts to plant matter fall through early spring, when the birds dine on a wide variety of seeds and left-over grain found in harvested farm fields. Another problem to the survival rate of Eastern Meadowlark species is Cowbird Nest parasitism. Unfortunately, its populations have declined by more than 70% since the 1970's. Nack, LL. 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