BirdAnalyst
Species · BCR 22 · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Eastern Meadowlark In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

All regionsEastern Tallgrass PrairieGrassland birds

Eastern Meadowlark in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie has fallen sharply: down 63% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-63%Since 1968
277Routes In Region
58Years

Notable Signals

long arc declinecomputed index

Eastern Meadowlark has fallen sharply in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie: down 63% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Eastern Meadowlark in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie is projected to fall about 23% by 2029 — from 17 in 2024 to a central estimate of 13 (95% range 3.3–23). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±7.9%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-23%Change by 2029
13Projected 2029 index
3.3–2395% range
±7.9%Backtest error
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 index95% low95% high
2025155.325
2026154.825
2027144.324
2028143.824
2029133.323

Routes In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

Routes recording Eastern Meadowlark in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie.
ThrallKANSAS1411970
Sni MillsMISSOURI1311990
MadisonMISSOURI1092024
WelchOKLAHOMA1012024
ForakerOKLAHOMA962024
LincolnvilleKANSAS922024
WainwrightOKLAHOMA802013
McfallMISSOURI712024
MelroseILLINOIS691999
LucerneMISSOURI692021
StetMISSOURI621995
MoreheadKANSAS592024
GalesburgKANSAS572024
TrentonMISSOURI572024
ReeceKANSAS532024
Trading PostKANSAS532024
EmdenMISSOURI502024
EllinorKANSAS492024
WrefordKANSAS472024
Le LoupKANSAS462021
PeoriaOKLAHOMA462023
HamiltonMISSOURI441985
OhioMISSOURI432024
RensselaerMISSOURI422024
New HamptonMISSOURI422024

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