Habitat

Arid desert grassland of southwestern United States; Pacific lowlands in west Mexico, and irrigated farmlands in central Mexico.

The lilianae subspecies of Chihuahuan Meadowlark prefers the arid desert grassland of southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and western Texas (21 Lanyon, W. E. (1962). Species limits and distribution of meadowlarks of the desert grassland. Auk 79:183-207. Close ). Habitat broadly consists of short grass, forbs, yucca, shrubs, mesquite, and bare ground (25 Rohwer, S. A. (1972). Distribution of meadowlarks in the central and southern Great Plains and the desert grasslands of eastern New Mexico and west Texas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 75:1-19. Close ). The subspecies auropectoralis occurs along the Pacific lowlands Sinaloa to Michoacán (21 Lanyon, W. E. (1962). Species limits and distribution of meadowlarks of the desert grassland. Auk 79:183-207. Close ). Populations of auropectoralis near the Mexican Plateau tend to switch habitat preferences with Western Meadowlark, and occupy irrigated farm land while Western Meadowlark is found in the desert grasslands (21 Lanyon, W. E. (1962). Species limits and distribution of meadowlarks of the desert grassland. Auk 79:183-207. Close ).