Lark Bunting

Overview

The Lark Bunting breeds across the shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies of the central United States and southern Canada, wintering in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is the state bird of Colorado and known for its dramatic seasonal plumage change in males.

Large flocks can form outside the breeding season, moving together across open grassland.

Feather Identification

• Breeding male body: nearly solid black, including head, back, and underparts.
• Wing patch: bold white patch on the wing coverts, highly visible in flight and at rest.
• Bill: heavy, conical, pale-based, typical of a seed-eating songbird.
• Female and nonbreeding male: streaky brown overall, sparrow-like, but retaining a hint of white in the wing.

The combination of black body and white wing patch is unmistakable on breeding males; nonbreeding and female birds are best told from sparrows by the heavy bill and retained pale wing markings.

Plumage Notes

Breeding males undergo a striking transformation into nearly solid black plumage with the bold white wing patch, among the most dramatic seasonal changes of any North American songbird. After breeding, males molt into a streaky brown plumage resembling females, though usually retaining more white in the wing.

Females remain streaky brown year-round, with buffy tones and dark streaking above and below, and a smaller, less bright wing patch than breeding males.

Habitat & Range

The species breeds across shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie of the central Great Plains, from southern Canada through the central United States. It winters in grassland and desert scrub of the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Outside the breeding season, Lark Buntings often gather in large, tightly coordinated flocks that move across open country in search of seeds.

Behavior & Field Notes

Lark Buntings forage on the ground for seeds and insects, often in flocks outside the breeding season. Breeding males perform a distinctive display flight, singing while fluttering upward and gliding down on stiffened wings.

The nest is a grass cup placed on the ground, often at the base of a shrub. The song is a varied, musical series of trills and buzzes. Breeding males are unmistakable, while brownish birds should be checked for the heavy bill and any remaining white wing markings.