Oregon State Bird

Oregon designated the Western Meadowlark in 1927 because of its song from open fields and the way it represents Oregon's broad grassland and shrub-steppe country beyond the big forests. It was a practical symbolic choice: familiar to residents, visible across much of the state, and easy to connect with local schools, gardens, farms, parks, or conservation culture.

A bright yellow breast crossed by a bold black V makes the Western Meadowlark stand out whenever it pops above prairie grass. In Oregon, it looks especially at home across Willamette Valley openings, eastside sagebrush, and rolling grass country.

It forages on the ground for insects and seeds, sings from fence posts and shrubs, and nests low in grassland cover. It uses prairie, rangeland, hayfields, and open country with grass structure well, which helps explain why the bird feels familiar well beyond protected areas.

In Oregon, start with Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, and Zumwalt Prairie Preserve. Scan posts, wires, and slightly raised tufts where singing birds climb up before dropping back into the grass. Spring and early summer are ideal because males sing often and stay more exposed than they do later in the season. These kinds of places match the bird's preferred mix of prairie, rangeland, hayfields, and open country with grass structure.

The Western Meadowlark is currently listed as LC. Western Meadowlarks remain widespread, but large-scale grassland loss and heavy disturbance during nesting season can depress breeding numbers.