Western Meadowlark

Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844

Icteridae — Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds

Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta, is a passerine in the Icteridae family, breeding across North America and Middle America from south-western and south-central Canada through the western USA to central Mexico. It was described by Audubon in 1844. It is a ground-nesting bird of open grassland and shrubland, and its most useful field mark is its distinctive call, which sets it apart from the closely related Eastern Meadowlark. The species is the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon and Wyoming.

Order
Passeriformes
Family
Icteridae — Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds
Breeding range
North America, Middle America: sw, sc Canada through the w USA to c Mexico
Western Meadowlark
© Channel City Camera Club from Santa Barbara, US · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

12 tours in Canada

Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6 days

A six-day late-summer Saskatchewan birding circuit timed for early migration, with wetlands, prairie and Saskatoon-area parks on the route....

From CAD 1,850 Next: Aug 24, 2026
Meadowlark Tours – 2026
Meadowlark Tours – 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 4h

A private self-drive outing into prairie country near Saskatoon to find and hear Western Meadowlarks, offered in four- and eight-hour format...

From CAD 390
Signs of Spring Birding Tour: 2 great options
Signs of Spring Birding Tour: 2 great options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A three-hour self-drive birding tour on back roads near Saskatoon, following the changing arrival of prairie birds through spring....

From CAD 75
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive circuit west of Saskatoon through prairie, ponds, Eagle Creek and the Van Scoy Lakes for waterbirds and shorebirds....

From CAD 440
Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour self-drive tour from Saskatoon to Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary, exploring prairie, woodland, ponds, marshes and saline-lake sh...

From CAD 590
Porter Lake Birding Tour – 3 great hours with water birds
Porter Lake Birding Tour – 3 great hours with water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A three-hour self-drive tour around Porter Lake, east of Saskatoon, focused on lakeshore waterbirds and seasonal shorebird movements....

From CAD 150
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2 days

A private two- or three-day self-drive birding tour through the Great Sand Hills, South Saskatchewan River valley and, on the longer option,...

From CAD 1,290
Prairie Grasslands Birding Tour
Prairie Grasslands Birding Tour
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour self-drive tour through grassland habitats around Saskatoon, using frequent roadside stops to look and listen for prairie bird...

From CAD 690
Saskatoon Evening Bird Walk – 4 great outings to our best birding hotspots
Saskatoon Evening Bird Walk – 4 great outings to our best birding hotspots
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 14 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 65
Donna Birkmaier Park Birding and Walking Tour – 2 fantastic hours birding in Saskatoon’s best natural park
Donna Birkmaier Park Birding and Walking Tour – 2 fantastic hours birding in Saskatoon’s best natural park
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A two-hour guided walk through Donna Birkmaier Park’s grassland, wetland and woodland habitat on level, wheelchair-accessible trails in Sa...

From CAD 150
Chappell Marsh Birding and Hiking Tour
Chappell Marsh Birding and Hiking Tour
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2h

A two-hour guided hike across Chappell Marsh’s level prairie trails, combining wetland birds, grassland songbirds and seasonal wildflowers...

From CAD 130
Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour with 2 great options from Saskatoon or Regina
Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour with 2 great options from Saskatoon or Regina
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 1 day

A 1-day Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary outing from Saskatoon or Regina, focused on wetland, shorebird and prairie birding in one of Saska...

From CAD 790