Eastern & Western Meadowlarks
Eastern and Western Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna and S. neglecta), iconic indicator species of grassland habitats, have declined by more than 40-70% in the last 50 years. Effective conservation is hindered because the migratory connectivity – how populations are linked spatially and temporally among seasons – of these species has been unknown until recently. Building on current tracking efforts across the range of both species, we will construct a genoscape and integrate the evolutionary relationships of tagged individuals to better understand migratory connectivity of populations and investigate a genomic basis to the diverse migratory strategies of meadowlarks across the range.
We have so far collected feather samples from across the breeding range in an effort led by Amy Scarpignato at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Migratory Bird Center with the help of collaborators from the American Bird Conservancy, Archbold Biological Station, Arkansas State University, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Boise State University Intermountain Bird Observatory, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Kansas State University, Klamath Bird Observatory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Montana, University of Oklahoma, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, and Willistown Conservation Trust.
Eastern Meadowlark status:
IUCN Red List – Near Threatened
Threatened in Canada – ON, QC, NB, and NS
Threatened in several US states
Western Meadowlark status:
Species of concern in several US states
If you are interested in collecting or donating Eastern and/or Western Meadowlark samples from any location across their range, particularly during the breeding and wintering seasons, please contact Amanda Carpenter to learn more!