Sturnella magna

Sturnella lilianae was formerly (e.g., AOU 1957, 1983, 1998) considered conspecific with S. magna due to similarities in voice and plumage (Lanyon 1962), but separated based on genomic data that indicate that S. magna sensu lato is paraphyletic with respect to S. neglecta, and quantitative differences in vocalizations (Beam et al. 2021); morphological and ecological differences are also considerable (Rohwer 1976).

Common and widely distributed residents of prairies, hayfields, pastures, fallow lands, and occasionally fields sown to winter wheat in the eastern half of North America (Roseberry and Klimstra 1970).

Breeds from southwestern South Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, northern Michigan, central Ontario, southwestern Quebec, Maine, southern New Brunswick, and central Nova Scotia south through the eastern United States (west to western Nebraska, northeastern Colorado [probably], central Kansas, and eastern Texas) and eastern and southern Mexico, and Central America south to central Panama, and to the Gulf coast, southern Florida (rarely the Florida Keys), Cuba (including cayos Coco, Romano, and Saetia), and the Isle of Pines; and in South America from northern and eastern Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Surinam south, east of the Andes, to Amazonian Brazil.

Winters from northern Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, southern Minnesota, central Wisconsin, southern Michigan, southern Ontario, New York, and New England (casually farther north) south throughout the remainder of the breeding range, with the West Indian, Middle American, and South American populations being essentially sedentary.

Casual north to southern Manitoba, west-central and eastern Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.

Number of occurrences has not been determined but considered common and widespread.

Decline is generally attributed to loss of nesting habitat due to changes in land use and unusually heavy mortality during severe winters (Lanyon 1995). AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES: Mowing of hayfields during the breeding season and spring surface tillage for weed-control destroys nests, young, and incubating adults (Lanyon 1995). HABITAT: Declines are attributed reforestation of or succession from abandoned farmland into woodlots and conversion of grasslands into suburbs (Lanyon 1995). GRAZING: Nests may be trampled by livestock. PESTICIDES: Mortality reported from eating grain poisoned to control rodents or insects (Griffin 1959 cited in Lanyon 1995). PREDATION: Eggs and nestlings may be depredated by foxes, domestic cats and dogs, coyotes, snakes, skunks, raccoons, or other small mammals (Lanyon 1995). PARASITISM: Nests widely parasitized by brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) but data on parasitism rates are not available.