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

Western Meadowlark In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

All regionsEastern Tallgrass PrairieGrassland birds

Western Meadowlark in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie has collapsed: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-94%Since 1968
182Routes In Region
58Years

Notable Signals

long arc declinecomputed index

Western Meadowlark has collapsed in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Western Meadowlark in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie is projected to fall about 100% by 2029 — from 0.74 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.00 (95% range 0.00–5.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±190.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-100%Change by 2029
0.00Projected 2029 index
0.00–5.495% range
±190.1%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
20250.000.005.4
20260.000.005.4
20270.000.005.4
20280.000.005.4
20290.000.005.4

Routes In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

Routes recording Western Meadowlark in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie.
College SpgsIOWA672004
Cedar ValleyIOWA521997
BolckowMISSOURI501992
TarkioMISSOURI481989
HamiltonMISSOURI271985
College Spgs 2IOWA252023
MurdockNEBRASKA202024
BedfordIOWA192018
WalesIOWA162018
WashtaIOWA162014
Ash CreekMINNESOTA152019
DinsdaleIOWA142024
SenecaKANSAS142022
LincolnvilleKANSAS122024
ElmoMISSOURI122023
ThurstonNEBRASKA92024
MonticelloILLINOIS82024
LyonsNEBRASKA82024
BrooklynIOWA72022
GazaIOWA72023
Rock ValleyIOWA72019
AtkinsonILLINOIS62024
WilliamsfldILLINOIS62019
WabashINDIANA62005
Mill CreekILLINOIS52019

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