What Is the State Bird of Wyoming? Western Meadowlark

Wyoming's state bird is the western meadowlark, scientifically known as Sturnella neglecta. It was officially designated on February 5, 1927, and if you need a quick, confident answer for a quiz, a classroom, or just curiosity, that's it.

The official answer, straight from the source

Both the Wyoming Secretary of State and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirm it: the state bird is the meadowlark, with the scientific name Sturnella neglecta. That's the western meadowlark specifically, though Wyoming's official state symbols page does acknowledge both North American meadowlark species (the eastern meadowlark, Sturnella magna, and the western meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta) and notes the differences between them. When Wyoming refers to its state bird, it means the western one.

The designation happened on February 5, 1927, making it one of the earlier state bird adoptions in the American West. Wyoming has kept it ever since, and the bird remains a natural fit for the state's wide-open grasslands and high plains.

What the western meadowlark actually looks like

If you want to recognize one in the field, the western meadowlark is pretty unmistakable once you know what to look for. It's a medium-sized bird, about 9 inches long (roughly 23 cm), so not tiny, not large. Think robin-sized or just a bit bigger.

The top of the bird is brown, streaked with black and buff, which gives it excellent camouflage in dry grass. But flip it around and the underside is a vivid, bright yellow. The field mark you really want to lock in is the bold black crescent on the chest, sitting right against that yellow background. That crescent is the quickest way to confirm what you're looking at.

Quick field tip: if you see a stocky bird perched on a fence post or power line in open country, flashing a yellow chest with a black V, that's your western meadowlark. The song also helps. The western meadowlark has a rich, flute-like call that's noticeably different from the eastern meadowlark's simpler whistle, which is one of the main ways birders tell the two species apart in the field.

Eastern vs. western meadowlark: worth knowing the difference

These two birds look nearly identical side by side. Their size, coloring, and that signature black chest crescent are shared by both species. The real difference comes down to voice and, to a lesser degree, geography. The western meadowlark's song is a complex, bubbling series of flute-like notes. The eastern meadowlark's song is cleaner and more straightforward. In Wyoming, where the western meadowlark lives and nests across the grasslands, you're almost certainly hearing and seeing Sturnella neglecta.

Nesting habits and a few fun details

The western meadowlark is a grassland bird through and through. It prefers open fields, prairies, and meadows, which makes Wyoming's wide landscapes a natural home. You won't find it in forests or dense urban areas.

For nesting, meadowlarks do something clever. They build domed nests tucked down in the grass, concealed from above. The female lays four to six white eggs speckled with reddish-brown markings. The dome shape and low placement make the nest surprisingly hard to spot even when you're standing right next to it, which is a nice detail to share if you're teaching kids about bird behavior and camouflage.

Why this bird and why 1927

The meadowlark wasn't chosen by accident. It's genuinely common across Wyoming, visible in open country throughout the state, and its bright coloring and distinctive song make it recognizable even to people who don't consider themselves birders. State bird adoptions in the 1920s were often driven by schoolchildren votes or legislative momentum tied to nature appreciation movements of the era, and Wyoming's 1927 designation fits that broader pattern. The meadowlark was a bird people actually saw and heard in their daily lives.

It's worth noting that the western meadowlark is also the state bird of several other states, including Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, and Oregon. Being shared doesn't make it less of a fitting symbol for Wyoming, but it's a useful trivia point if that context ever comes up.

The short version if you just need the facts

• Wyoming's state bird: the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
• Official designation date: February 5, 1927
• Size: about 9 inches (23 cm) long
• Key markings: bright yellow underparts, bold black crescent on the chest, brown and black streaking on the back
• Habitat: open grasslands, prairies, meadows
• Nest type: domed, built in the grass
• Eggs: four to six, white with reddish-brown speckles
• How to tell it from the eastern meadowlark: listen for the richer, more complex song