BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Eastern Meadowlark

IcteridaeGrassland birdsSturnella magna

Eastern Meadowlark has collapsed: down 81% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-81%Since 1968TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
2,433RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
58Years SurveyedYears surveyedNumber of years with at least one standard-protocol run in this geography. A longer record makes the trend more reliable.Full methodology →

About the Eastern Meadowlark

A chunky grassland songbird with a bright yellow breast and bold black 'V', the Eastern Meadowlark sings from fence posts but has declined sharply as grasslands have been lost.

Size
7.5–10 in long, about 3.2 oz (19–26 cm, 90 g)
Habitat
Open grasslands, prairie, pasture and hayfields.
Diet
Insects in summer and seeds and grain in winter, taken on the ground.
Range
Recorded on 2,433 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 37 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family
Icteridae · Grassland birds
Conservation
Declining

Notable Eastern Meadowlark TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Eastern Meadowlark has collapsed in surveyed states: down 81% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Eastern Meadowlark Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Eastern Meadowlark is projected to fall about 100% by 2029 — from 4.7 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.00 (95% range 0.00–4.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±89.1%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-100%Change by 2029TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
0.00Projected 2029 indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →
0.00–4.195% range95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
±89.1%Backtest errorBacktest errorTypical error when we hold out the most recent years, forecast them, and compare to what actually happened. Lower means a more trustworthy projection.Full methodology →
If the recent trend holds, Eastern Meadowlark is projected to fall about 100% by 2029 — from 4.7 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.00 (95% range 0.00–4.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±89.1%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →95% low95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →95% high95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
20250.680.004.8
20260.320.004.4
20270.000.004.1
20280.000.004.1
20290.000.004.1

Where the Eastern Meadowlark Is Detected

BBS routes recording Eastern Meadowlark, sized by most recent count.

Eastern Meadowlark Population Trend by State

Eastern Meadowlark population trend by state.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Alabama-80%1968107
Arkansas-82%196956
Connecticut-98%196817
Delaware-94%196813
Florida-75%1968110
Georgia-88%1968100
Illinois-73%1968105
Indiana-71%196868
Iowa-27%196938
Kansas-25%196963
Kentucky-78%196861
Louisiana-80%196997
Maine-99%196845
Maryland-86%196874
Massachusetts-98%196824
Michigan-86%196889
Minnesota-50%196960
Mississippi-90%196868
Missouri-56%196995
Nebraska-74%196942
New Hampshire-99%196825
New Jersey-97%196836
New York-90%1968116
North Carolina-79%196898
North Dakotainsufficient datan/a8
Ohio-84%196886
Oklahoma-36%196966
Pennsylvania-88%1968130
Rhode Island-64%19694
South Carolina-90%196847
South Dakota-92%19964
Tennessee-83%196852
Texas-80%1969181
Vermont-96%196825
Virginia-68%196873
West Virginia-85%196859
Wisconsin-75%196891

Eastern Meadowlark Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Eastern Meadowlark population trend by Bird Conservation Region.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Prairie Potholes+82%196934
Boreal Hardwood Transition-87%196889
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain-88%196886
Atlantic Northern Forest-99%1968107
Badlands and Prairies-93%19965
Shortgrass Prairie-59%197020
Central Mixed Grass Prairie+9%1969111
Edwards Plateau-89%196916
Oaks and Prairies-77%196974
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie-63%1968277
Prairie Hardwood Transition-73%1968157
Central Hardwoods-77%1968163
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas-93%196997
Mississippi Alluvial Valley-86%196870
Southeastern Coastal Plain-85%1968318
Appalachian Mountains-85%1968365
Piedmont-82%1968163
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast-92%1968138
Peninsular Florida-76%196871
Tamaulipan Brushlands-43%197024
Gulf Coastal Prairie-69%196948

Eastern Meadowlark Conservation Status

Declining

Long-term surveys document a steep, sustained decline for this species, a recognized conservation concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 81% since 1968. Grassland birds are North America's steepest-declining group, down roughly 50% since 1970 as prairie and pasture were lost.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.