any member of the genus Sturnella, belonging to the family Icteridae (order Passeriformes). Meadowlarks are sharp-billed plump birds, 20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 inches) long. The two species in North America look alike: streaked brown above, with yellow breast crossed by a black V and a short tail with distinctive white outer feathers. The eastern, or common, meadowlark (S. magna) ranges from eastern Canada to Brazil, the western meadowlark (S. neglecta; see photograph-->) from western Canada to Mexico (introduced to Hawaii). The former has a simple four-note whistle and the latter an intricate fluting. Meadowlarks consume insects in summer and weed seeds in fall and winter. The nest is a grass dome hidden in a field.