| General Comments |
Accidental. There are two accepted state records of singing Western Meadowlarks: one at Pea Island (Dare) on 30 Nov 1965 [Chat 54:58 link], and one at Lake Wheeler (Wake), 21 Jan - 3 Mar 1968 [Chat 32:104-05 link]. This species remains on the State's Provisional List, as both are sight records only (no photographs or voice recordings yet for the state). However, three photos on a Facebook site from Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains NP (Swain) on 22 Oct 2023 [Chat 88:19 link] were posted for review by birders across the country, with a number of responses strongly for Western Meadowlark. This report is currently being reviewed by the NC BRC. Interestingly, even though the breeding range has extended eastward toward western Ontario in recent decades, and the species departs that northeastern portion of the range in winter for areas to the south, there have been no state records since the 1960's, pending the 2023 report outcome. This suggests that the Western Meadowlark has sustained population declines, at least in the eastern portion of its range, as the number of birders in the state is several times greater now than the number back in the 1960's. |
