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Step 1
Watch the tops of fence posts. The western meadowlark loves to perch on fence posts along roadsides and in fields, singing its song. It was this trait that it made it so popular that in 1930 Montana’s school-aged children voted the meadowlark as the state bird in a virtual landslide. In March of the next year the state legislature made it official.
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Step 2
Look for the black “V.” The western meadowlark is a songbird with a distinctive color pattern. It is yellow across the chest, belly, and throat, with a brown-streaked back. The chest has a clearly visible “V” in black that cannot be missed. It actually looks as if someone painted it on.
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Step 3
Follow your ears to find the meadowlark. This bird’s song sounds like a flute playing. The bird will sing it repeatedly. The western meadowlark is found throughout the western two-thirds of the United States and is also the state bird of Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, Wyoming, and North Dakota, in part due to the rich melody that it provides.
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Step 4
Don’t search for him in the woods. The state bird of Montana would much rather reside in the open country where it can live in open fields, grasslands, pastures, and along the side of roads. It eats seeds from various weeds, insects, and some grains, finding these items on the ground or digging around in the dirt. They build their nests on the ground out of dry grass and strips of bark, sometimes putting a protective “overhang” on it to keep out rain.
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Step 5
Gaze at those long legs and the long beak. The western meadowlark has long thin legs and a long bill. The head of the meadowlark is marked with brown and black stripes. The females look the same as the males but are smaller. The male will have two mates at the same time, with the females doing all the work of raising the family.
