 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
Click for a larger version or to add map overlays |
||
Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
|
Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
|
-9.72 (-12.0 - -7.32)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Atlas Results
Atlas results coming soon
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
This eye-catching black and white grassland sparrow debunks the perception that all species in this group are diminutive "little brown jobs.? Unlike other grassland endemics whose ranges are restricted to the northern Great Plains, the breeding distribution of this species extends to the Texas Panhandle. Most birds winter in Texas, Arizona, and the high plateau of northern Mexico.
The Lark Bunting often breeds in loose colonies within a variety of grassland habitats of low to moderate height (60 cm or less), including native and tame pastures, haylands (both irrigated and not), and at times even cropland and roadside ditches (Maher 1974, Smith 1996, McMaster and Davis 1998, Sealy 1999). It also seeks out disturbed sites where wolf-willow and snowberry are abundant (Nero 1993).
Generally restricted to and common in the southern portion of Saskatchewan, bounded by Kindersley and Estevan, during drought this species may irrupt and make rare summer visits to the Parklands and boreal transition. During these irruptions it could be the most abundant grassland bird (Smith 1996). Monitoring the Saskatchewan population is problematic given its irruptive nature and location at the northern edge of its distribution.
Original text by Glen McMaster. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Lark Bunting in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Lark Bunting in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=LARB&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
| Previous species: Lark Sparrow | Table of Contents | Next species: Fox Sparrow |