The Meadowlark's Song

Peggy Arnold-Hoobler grew up loving the outdoors in Southern Colorado at the foot of the Spanish Peaks. She spent many hours listening to the buoyant, flutelike, warbled melody of the Western Meadowlark. She was inspired to write a song about her favorite bird and thus created this children's book to share the joy of this magnificent bird.

The Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is a medium-sized icterid bird, about 8.5 in (22 cm) long. It nests on the ground in open country in western and central North America grassland. It feeds mostly on insects but also seeds and berries. This colorful member of the blackbird family flashes a vibrant yellow breast crossed by a distinctive black V-shaped band. Look and listen for these stout ground feeders in grasslands, meadows, pastures, and along marsh edges throughout the West and Midwest.