Subject: Western Meadowlarks West (was: Montlake fill)
Date: Jul 16 08:36:39 1996
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at mirrors.ups.edu


Mike Smith wrote:

>No confirmed records exist for King Co. from the BBA. One from near
>Lynden (Whatcom Co.), one near Mt. Vernon (Skagit Co.), one near Grand
>Mound (Thurston Co.), and four from Sequim Prairie. Basically, breeding
>is limited to mainly the westside prairie habitats, with a few outliers in
>scattered agricultural areas. Singing birds are noted from a number of
>other quads in westside prairie areas. A probable and possible record are
>from King Co., but they could be passing through. And perhaps the
>question that should follow is do meadowlarks sing in migration? The ones
>I've encountered at the Fill never have. Usually just see them flying.
>Is it appropriate to assume that meadowlarks singing are already on
>breeding territories?

I've heard meadowlarks in full song while in flocks in winter in Skagit
Co., so I'd answer "no" to the last question. We know that many birds sing
during spring migration (shorebirds do so even at the beginning of fall
migration), and we may not know much about meadowlarks doing this just
because we don't see them much in migration or aren't sure of the status of
some migrating birds. They certainly winter in areas in western WA where
they don't breed, e.g., wintering flocks at Magnuson Park and the Hoquiam
sewage pond (and perhaps Nisqually and Skokomish delta?).

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416