Western meadowlark
Chapter 7: When to Sing, and How
Subchapter: Songs and calls in flight
From page 135 in the book.
Photo by Wil Hershberger
♫550. Routine singing involves repeating one of his ten or so song types several times; hear the female rattle in response to some of his songs. June 12, 2009. Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Burns, Oregon. (1:14)
♫551. After six perched songs of two different types, this male gives a few low whistles (1:05 to 1:12), then launches into flight, delivering an ecstatic, hurried twitter of a song. June 9, 2008. Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, Walden, Colorado. (1:18)
♫552. Five songs, all of one type, followed (beginning at 0:53) by the tell-tale low whistles that often precede a flight song, all that in turn followed by the flight song itself. June 10, 2018. Sierra Valley, California. (1:10) Recorded by Wil Hershberger