The western lark was voted as the state bird of Kansas in 1925, but was not officially recognized until 1937. It is also the state bird of Oregon, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. The bird is a chunky songbird with a yellow breast and a black “V” on it. It migrates over short distances and prefers open country habitats. Males use their song to attract females and perform visual displays. Females build nests on the ground and lay three to seven eggs.
In 1925, in a state election run by the Audubon Society, schoolchildren voted for the western lark to be named the state bird of Kansas. Out of approximately 121,000 votes, more than 48,000 babies voted for the western skylark to become the state bird of Kansas. The bobwhite and cardinal finished second and third respectively. However, it took until 1937 for the state legislature to officially recognize the western lark as the state bird of Kansas. In addition to being the state bird of Kansas, the western skylark is also the state bird of Oregon, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota.
The western lark, scientifically called Sturnella neglecta, is a large to somewhat chunky songbird that belongs to the same bird family as orioles and blackbirds. Male and female western larks range in length from about 6.3-10.2 inches (16-26 cm), weigh 3.1-4.1 ounces (88-116 g), and have wingspans of about 13.5-17 inches (34-43 cm ). The western lark’s back is mostly a dull buff or brown with some black streaking, and the breast, belly, and throat are bright yellow. The most distinctive physical feature of this bird is a feathered black “V” on its yellow breast.
Geographically, the western lark migrates over short distances and has a range that extends from British Columbia in Canada east to Ohio and south to northern Mexico. As befits the state bird of Kansas, an agricultural state, the western skylark’s preferred habitats are the open country of abandoned fields, pastures, grasslands, and prairies. Frequent sightings of the bird in Kansas are of the male sitting atop a fence post, singing his very distinctive and melodic flute-like song.
Males use their song to mark a nesting area and to attract females for mating. Next, the male performs a visual display in which he sticks his beak in the air, inflates his bright yellow throat, and flaps his wings above his head. If this is unsuccessful, the male western lark will start hopping up and down to get attention. The breeding season is approximately May to July, with males usually having two mates at the same time.
A female builds her nest on the ground by digging a shallow depression with her beak, lining it with soft grass and weaving a roof for it. She lays three to seven eggs and incubation takes about two weeks. The female incubates and broods.
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