Behavior

Walking, Running, Hopping, Climbing, etc.

Foraging birds walk or run on ground. When approaching nest, birds walk more stealthily with the body held closer to ground.

Flight

Flies with alternating periods of gliding with wings held stiff and periods of rapid, shallow wingbeats.

Self-maintenance behaviors have not been studied in Chihuahuan Meadowlark, but are presumably similar to other meadowlarks.

Interactions and territoriality have not been studied in Chihuahuan Meadowlark, but they are presumably similar to Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) and Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).

Physical and Communicative Interactions

In other meadowlarks, males chase competing males away from their territory and fight with trespassing males. During territory disputes,Eastern Meadowlark males will sing at each other, perform posturing displays that include wing and tail flashing, and puff out their feathers to increase their body size (37 Lanyon, W. E. (1957). The comparative biology of the meadowlarks (Sturnella) in Wisconsin. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. No. 1. Cambridge, MA. Close ). Female Eastern Meadowlark may perform similar posturing displays to their mates (37 Lanyon, W. E. (1957). The comparative biology of the meadowlarks (Sturnella) in Wisconsin. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. No. 1. Cambridge, MA. Close ).

Territorial Behavior

In the similar Eastern Meadowlark, males establish and defend territories until the young fledge the nest, and use the territories for foraging, mating, and rearing young (37 Lanyon, W. E. (1957). The comparative biology of the meadowlarks (Sturnella) in Wisconsin. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. No. 1. Cambridge, MA. Close ).

More information needed on territoriality when sympatric with Western Meadowlark. Lanyon (21 Lanyon, W. E. (1962). Species limits and distribution of meadowlarks of the desert grassland. Auk 79:183-207. Close ) suggests that Chihuahuan Meadowlark and Western Meadowlark rarely breed in close proximity to each other.

There are no detailed studies of sexual behavior in Chihuahuan Meadowlark, however one can presume it shares many behaviors with Eastern Meadowlark and Western Meadowlark.

Mating System and Operational Sex Ratio

The closely related Eastern Meadowlark and Western Meadowlark have 1-3 concurrent mates that nest within the single male's territory (41 Saunders, G. B. (1932). A taxonomic revision of the meadowlarks of the genus Sturnella (Vieillot) and the natural history of the eastern meadowlark, Sturnella magna (Linnaeus). Phd Thesis, Cornell Univ., Ithaca. Close , 42 Knapton, R.W. (1988). Nesting success is higher for polygynously mated females than for monogamously mated females in the Eastern Meadowlark. Auk 105(2): 325-329. Close ).

Courtship, Copulation, and Pair Bond

In other meadowlarks, pair selection happens soon after females arrive to the territories and the pairs stay together while finding a nesting site and during foraging. Pairs remain together until the end of the nesting period (37 Lanyon, W. E. (1957). The comparative biology of the meadowlarks (Sturnella) in Wisconsin. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. No. 1. Cambridge, MA. Close ). Displays involve aerial chases, posturing, and puffed plumage prior to copulation (37 Lanyon, W. E. (1957). The comparative biology of the meadowlarks (Sturnella) in Wisconsin. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. No. 1. Cambridge, MA. Close ). Copulation only occurs within a male's territory, male strutting around a receptive female, mounting the female with aggressive wing-flapping, and dismounting before the female resumes foraging (37 Lanyon, W. E. (1957). The comparative biology of the meadowlarks (Sturnella) in Wisconsin. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. No. 1. Cambridge, MA. Close ).

Extra-Pair Mating Behavior/Paternity

Information needed.

Sociality has not been studied in Chihuahuan Meadowlark, however Eastern Meadowlark forms loose winter flocks until the following breeding season (43 Lanyon, W. E. (1953). Meadowlarks in Wisconsin, part 2: Wintering, migration, song, and breeding biology. Passenger Pigeon 15:150-158. Close ). More study is needed to see if wintering flocks of Chihuahuan Meadowlark include Western Meadowlark.

Information needed.