Pradero Altiplanero
Pradero Altiplanero
Sturnella lilianae
A simple vista
In the Southwest, this chunky, yellow-breasted bird sings from dry grasslands. Its clear, whistled song is similar to that of the widespread Eastern Meadowlark, and for years it was thought to be just a regional variation of that bird. Not until 2022 was the Chihuahuan Meadowlark recognized as a full species and named for the Chihuahuan Desert that makes up a major part of its range.
Todo el texto de la guía de aves y los mapas de distribución fueron adaptados de Lives of North American Birds de Kenn Kaufman© 1996, utilizado con permiso de Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Reservados todos los derechos.
Categoría
Blackbirds and Orioles, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Casi amenazado
Hábitat
Desert and Arid Habitats, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Región
Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Texas
Comportamiento
Flap/Glide, Flushes, Running
Población
37.000.000
Rango e identificación
Mapa de migración y distribución
Present all year in most of range, although only small numbers usually remain through winter in North. Migrants arrive rather early in spring and linger late in fall.
Descripción
Tamaño
About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Brown, Tan, White, Yellow
Forma de alas
Rounded
Forma de cola
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped
Cantos y llamadas
Patrón de canto
Falling, Flat
Tipo de canto
Buzz, Chirp/Chip, Flute, Trill, Whistle
Hábitat
Dry, open grasslands, sometimes mixed with scattered yuccas or mesquites, and patches of bare ground. In winter, when flocks of Western Meadowlarks in the Southwest are often found in farm fields, most Chihuahuan Meadowlarks remain in natural grasslands.
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Comportamiento
Huevos
4-6, sometimes up to 7. White, heavily spotted with brown and purple. Incubation is by female, about 13-15 days.
Cría
Both parents feed nestlings (but the female may do more). Young leave nest after 11-12 days, when still unable to fly, and are tended by parents for at least 2 more weeks. May attempt 2 or more broods in a year with good rains.
Comportamiento alimentario
The Chihuahuan Meadowlark forages by walking on the ground, taking insects and seeds from the ground and low plants. May probe in the soil with its bill. In winter, may forage in flocks.
Dieta
Mostly insects and seeds. The Majority of the Chihuahuan Meadowlark's diet consists of insects, especially in summer, when it eats many grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and their larvae, caterpillars, ants, true bugs, and others; also spiders. Seeds and waste grain make up a significant part of the annual diet.
Nidificación
Male Chihuahuan Meadowlarks defend nesting territory by singing. In courtship, male faces female, puffs out chest feathers and points bill straight up to show off black "V," spreads tail widely, and flicks wings; he may even jump in the air in this posture. Male may have more than one mate. Nest: Placed on the ground, in areas with dense grass and other low cover, in a small depression in soil. Nest (probably built by female) is a domed structure with the entrance on the side, made of grass stems interwoven with surrounding growth.
Vulnerabilidad
Estado de conservación
The Chihuahuan Meadowlark is probably much less numerous now than it was historically, owing to the general loss of high-quality grasslands in the arid Southwest.
Amenazas climáticas que enfrenta el Pradero Altiplanero
Elija un escenario de temperatura a continuación para ver qué amenazas afectarán a esta especie de ave a medida que aumente el calentamiento global. Las mismas amenazas impulsadas por el cambio climático que ponen en riesgo a las aves afectarán también a otras especies de vida silvestre y a las personas.
