Birdland

The Sounds of a Flute

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology isn’t far off with its claim that, “the buoyant, flutelike melody of the Western Meadowlark ringing out across a field can brighten anyone’s day.” Western Meadowlarks are a member of the blackbird family, only far more colorful, with a bright yellow breast crossed with a black, V-shaped band. They feed on seeds and berries, and their singing is legendary. The males develop a repertoire of up to a dozen songs, switching from short-spaced whistles and warbles depending on whether they are responding to an intruder, chasing competing males or chasing responsive females. This Western Meadowlark was photographed along the Westerly Creek Bike Path, just east of Park Hill. Photo by Park Hill resident Mark Silverstein