BirdAnalyst
Species · BCR 11 · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Eastern Meadowlark In Prairie Potholes

All regionsPrairie PotholesGrassland birds

Eastern Meadowlark in Prairie Potholes has surged: up 82% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

+82%Since 1969
34Routes In Region
56Years

Notable Signals

long arc increasecomputed index

Eastern Meadowlark has surged in Prairie Potholes: up 82% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Eastern Meadowlark in Prairie Potholes is projected to fall about 33% by 2029 — from 0.49 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.33 (95% range 0.00–0.84). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±38.8%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-33%Change by 2029
0.33Projected 2029 index
0.00–0.8495% range
±38.8%Backtest error
19672029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected index95% low95% high
20250.320.000.83
20260.330.000.84
20270.330.000.84
20280.330.000.84
20290.330.000.84

Routes In Prairie Potholes

Routes recording Eastern Meadowlark in Prairie Potholes.
SpartaNEBRASKA151998
PantherIOWA122024
Redwood FallMINNESOTA72024
MccallsburgIOWA62024
WinsideNEBRASKA61983
GluekMINNESOTA51973
ClareIOWA32019
WashingtonIOWA22024
ScrantonIOWA22024
HartlandMINNESOTA22017
MaynardMINNESOTA22000
OkleeMINNESOTA21984
Big StoneMINNESOTA21997
Eagle CreekNEBRASKA22002
KanawhaIOWA12024
ZearingIOWA11993
GarnerIOWA11993
TitonkaIOWA12024
BurchinalIOWA12024
HuntleyMINNESOTA12023
ArlingtonMINNESOTA12014
CourtlandMINNESOTA12024
DawsonMINNESOTA12022
FranklinMINNESOTA12024
LockhartMINNESOTA12018

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.