This beautiful sparrow can be seen in the prairies of central North America, feeding on insects and seeds. We rarely see prairie birds, for there aren’t many endless prairies left on earth.
Spending the winter months in Mexico, Calamospiza melanocorys migrate to the Great Plains in spring for nesting. They arrive on the breeding grounds in large flocks.
We were in the Pawnee Grasslands in eastern Colorado, fortunately it was prairie bird breeding season. We had no idea what a treat we were in for, having only seen this bird for the first time.
We had just met the couple who owned the house we were staying in, they worked the ranch and the guest house, and lived here. This was their house in the middle of their 9,000 acres of grass and ranch.
The owner, Paul, was going out to check on a newborn calf and invited us to join him. After he checked on the calf, we bumped across the pasture so he could show us the Lark Buntings. This quiet rancher with few words wanted to show us the Lark Bunting display.
We had seen the bird driving in–it’s so distinctive with the white wing marking on black–but hadn’t seen the courtship displays. It is Colorado’s State Bird.
Here’s what happens: the male flies up about 20 feet above the ground, and then slowly flutters down on outstretched wings, whistling and trilling until he eventually disappears in the tall grass. Click here to hear his song.
Paul was a slow-talking Colorado rancher who had lived here his whole life, and we were California birders awestruck by so much open space. And there we three sat, shoulder to shoulder in the cab of his Ford Pickup truck, admiring the grace and wonder of this delightful prairie bird as if we had known each other our whole lives.
Photo credit: Athena Alexander