"Colorful Troubadour" - a photo on Flickriver

            Florida’s Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) is a songbird found throughout rural areas of Florida. Its breeding range covers most of eastern North America and parts of South America. Experts say it is difficult to distinguish between the Eastern and Western species as it can be determined only by voice and location. Seventeen subspecies of the Eastern Meadowlark are documented.

Actually, the meadowlark is not a lark at all. It is a member of the blackbird family (Icteridae) which also includes cowbirds and orioles. Meadowlarks are easily identified by the bright yellow throat and belly. However, the most distinguishing mark in adults is the black “V” on its chest. It can often be seen on a fence post belting out its clear, melodious songs and whistles.

 Adult birds weigh just over five ounces, are seven to ten inches tall with a wingspan of 14 to 16 inches. Both sexes are similar in size, although females are normally smaller with a shorter wingspan.

 This bird prefers grassy fields, pastures, cultivated fields, golf courses and other open habitats. It is a good friend to the farmer/rancher and a bug-eating machine. Insects comprise more than 75 percent of its diet, with grains and seeds making up the balance. It is especially fond of grasshoppers and crickets, as well as insect larvae and grubs. It feeds on the ground, picking insects from the surface or probing the soil to reveal its prey. Meadowlarks also eat the seeds of many weeds.

Found this Troubadour along Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County, Florida.

Taken on: December 16, 2020

Tags:

Eastern Meadowlark

bird

nature

wildlife

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outdoor

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ghelm4747

Gary Helm

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Florida Wildlife

Florida

Osceola County

Joe Overstreet Road

fly

flight

feathers

insects

grains

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EOS 7D

Canon camera

Sima

150-600

mm'

Sigma 150-600 mm

Canon EOS 7D

songbird

blackbird

pastures

Grassy Fields

troubadour

perch

post

Fence post « less

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