Eastern meadowlark nest

By Aaron Horrell

The meadowlark is a common native songbird. It is often seen sitting on a fence post at the edge of a cow pasture.

Meadowlarks prefer open fields such as hay fields and brush-hogged fields, where vegetation is rather short. They spend a majority of their time on the ground looking for a meal of grasshoppers and other insects. A meadowlark can be identified by its bright yellow chest with a black "V"-shaped bib.

The meadowlark nest I show here is typical. It is built on the ground out of dead grass. Often the nest will have a bit of an overhang to protect the eggs and chicks from direct hot sunshine, as well as from predators looking down from above.

A pair of meadowlarks usually will raise two broods per year, and the nest usually holds three to five eggs.