Discover the Official State Bird of North Dakota

The official state bird of North Dakota is the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta). This sturdy, grass-loving bird favors the wide open spaces. The Roughrider State bird is in the right place as North Dakota is America’s most treeless state—literally number 50. 

Their glowing yellow breast, stomach and lower face can’t be missed. And don’t be misled by their stockiness. These birds have a fourteen-inch wingspan and are excellent nest architects. Let’s look closer at the official state bird of North Dakota. 

Appearance and Naming of the Western Meadowlark

And it was all yellow. Western Meadowlarks have alternating cream and dark-brown colored feathers on their wings and backs. The sun-yellow breast has a pronounced v-shaped black crest, almost like a superhero. The head is smaller. For birds that live and nest near the ground—at least in North Dakota—they have large feet and talons. 

James Audubon gave it the curious name Sturnella neglecta. Once thought to be the same as an Eastern meadowlark, the bird has another odd naming convention.

North Dakota’s official state bird, the Western Meadowlark, isn’t actually a lark. It’s a member of the New World blackbird family by taxonomy.

Why Did They Choose the Western Meadowlark as the Official State Bird of North Dakota? 

In 1947, the Peace Garden state chose the Western Meadowlark as their bird. With the state’s spacious prairie land and bird’s the distinctive songs—with several exciting and diverse tracks in their playlist—these tunes fill the ears of North Dakotans throughout the spring and summer. They’re also incredibly plentiful in the state, numbering over 5 million.

Bird Size and Family Life

This hard-to-miss bird looks smaller and only weighs in at just under a quarter-pound (250g) but has a wingspan well over a foot.

There appear to be almost no photographs of the bird in a tree—at least in North Dakota. However, they’re tolerant of bushes, shrubbery and related lower vegetation. Still, the majority of images feature them on fence posts where they’ll sing mating calls or other tunes. 

Habitat and Eating

Within the safety of taller grasses, they’ll build their nests. And, according to All Things Birdie, the Mother bird will even fashion a roof! This ambitious state bird of North Dakota takes things a step further and creates a virtual driveway through the ground vegetation into their nest. 

The Dad birds will periodically check in on the nest and fend off any attackers. 

As omnivores, they aren’t picky eaters. In the summer and fall, they dine on the abundant insects. Grain foragings keep them fed in the fall and winter. They have a unique feeding style of “gaping.” They excavate a pit using their sturdy beak and harvest morsels, whether that hole is in tree bark or soil. 

Official State Bird of North Dakota Is Clearly Inspiring to Other States Too

In addition to being the state bird of North Dakota, the Western Meadowlark is actually the official bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wyoming.