The Chihuahuan Meadowlark

BirdNote^®

The Chihuahuan Meadowlark

Written by Conor Gearin

This is BirdNote. 

    [Chihuahuan Meadowlark song]

Though once thought to be a subspecies of the Eastern Meadowlark, this bird was recognized in 2022 as a separate species: the Chihuahuan Meadowlark. 

    [Chihuahuan Meadowlark song]

Keen observers have long known that the Chihuahuan Meadowlark’s song sounds different from other North American meadowlarks.

    [Chihuahuan Meadowlark song]

Named after the northern region of Mexico where they're easy to find, Chihuahuan Meadowlarks live in dry desert grasslands. They form a distinct population in Mexico and the southwestern U.S. They have a similar build to other meadowlarks, but with lighter brown streaks on their sides and less yellow on their bellies. And of course, a song all their own. 

    [Chihuahuan Meadowlark song]

The Chihuahuan Meadowlark’s recognition as a species was aided by Johanna Beam, a PhD student who studied the song patterns and DNA of North America’s meadowlark populations. The research suggested that song differences could help prevent Chihuahuan Meadowlarks from breeding with other species, and that Eastern and Western Meadowlarks are more closely related to each other than they are to the Chihuahuan birds.

    [Chihuahuan Meadowlark song]

Now, the Chihuahuan Meadowlark has a name that recognizes the species’ uniqueness — and that pays tribute to the desert landscapes these birds call home.

For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.

###

Senior Producer: John Kessler
Content Director: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Chihuahuan Meadowlark ML 217748521 recorded by Rose Ann Rowlett.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote   March 2023
Narrator: Ariana Remmel

ID# CHME-01-2023-03-07        CHME-01