An Impressive Meadowlark Transformation

I often see birds puff up but the “inflating ” performance of this Western Meadowlark was over the top.

 

western meadowlark 8462 ron dudley

1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in

I photographed the bird yesterday morning as it sang on a rabbit brush perch. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary – just a colorful bird singing a melodious song on a beautiful morning on Antelope Island. But then my jaw began to drop as I watched the meadowlark through my lens.

 

 

western meadowlark 8546 ron dudley

1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in

Soon after moving slightly forward on the perch the meadowlark began to erect nearly all of its body feathers to an extreme that I have rarely seen before. Its body shape reminded me of a balloon that was about to pop. The bird didn’t shake (rouse), it just held this puffed up pose for some time, perhaps 10 seconds or so. It even continued to sing in this rotund condition.

 

 

western meadowlark 8548 ron dudley

1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in

Soon I suspected from its behavior that it was about to take off. Here the bird is looking in the direction that it’s about to fly but its feathers are still puffed up to the extreme. I thought birds always flatten their feathers before they take off…

 

 

western meadowlark 8549 ron dudley

1/3200, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in

but this one certainly didn’t.

 

 

western meadowlark 8550 ron dudley

1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in

Even after launch it still looked like a beach ball.

I suspect that this was a form of posturing used by males in territorial disputes. After all, nesting season is about to begin and meadowlarks are now singing on territory on the island and there may have been another male nearby. One of the two types of posturing used by meadowlarks is called Expansion Posturing and BNA Online says the following about it:

  • “In Expansion Posturing the contour feathers are extended, especially those of colorful ventral tracts, head is drawn in close to body, and tail is spread, effectively increasing apparent body size.”

Whatever was going on, this meadowlark blimp certainly got my attention. And amused me.

Ron

 

 

32 Comments

  1. Patty is too funny. I have never seen that before either. Lucky you caught it. I love the song of that bird!

  2. Very interesting Ron. I have never seen this, thank you for the education. It barely looks like it could fly when fully “inflated”. The second image is amazing, it looks like it is about to pop.

  3. This bird wasn’t on its way to a Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem , or some other weight loss program was it???

  4. Puffer fish got nothing on this guy!

  5. Alternatively, the song it was singing to/at its competition was ‘Anything you can do I can do better’…

  6. I think you have been had. That is not a bird but a cleverly designed blimp.
    I am in awe that you remembered to press the shutter. I am pretty certain I would have been staring, eyes and mouth wide open (yes I know a v attractive pose).
    Alternatively that is a literate bird who was messing with your mind. Always and never written by an expert without wings is a challenge which too many birds contradict with ease, aplomb and glee.

  7. Ron, Such incredible pictures and the story makes it complete.
    Is there a chance that puffing up is also attraction to females?
    Glenn

    • “Is there a chance that puffing up is also attraction to females?”

      I couldn’t say for sure, Glenn, but I didn’t run across any mention of it in my research.

  8. Great series of images of this colourful bird. The eastern version has declined in my home state of Wisconsin so I always love seeing meadowlarks. It reminds me of my farm childhood when they and bobolinks sang from the fenceposts and fields.

  9. An interesting series…you caught that bird doing an amazing imitation of an overfilled pinata…very unusual!!! Makes me wonder if it wintered in Mexico…..my birds used to raise their feathers like this to allow sunlight to reach their skin and allow them to teceive vitamin D, but they never kept them like thatvwhen they’d fly…this one may have imprinted on a weather balloon….

    • “they never kept them like that when they’d fly”

      Patty, I think this one was trying to impress a competitor with its size and that included in flight. Not a very aerodynamic profile while flying…

      • “Not a very aerodynamic profile while flying…”
        Perhaps, but I’ve also seen race drives win the race with their aerodynamics all wrinkled up and even sometimes missing altogether. You do what you gotta do 🙂 I love birds (and critters). I KNOW you didn’t know that! LOL!

  10. Once again, you have given me a smile for the day! The meadowlark is beautiful, and I love to hear them sing. I haven’t seen or heard any around here yet. It’s always fun to learn that birds are birds and that they haven’t read our books about them!

  11. As they say—–LOL ! There’s something wonderful from your blog almost every single day……thanks !

  12. The Meadowlark Blimp, indeed. Wonderful!

  13. As usual great shots of a very popular bird and who is quite a songster. There are 6 states, one of which is your past home state that has the Western Meadowlark as its State Bird., The only bird that beats it is the Northern Cardinal.
    Birds have a mind of their own when it comes to jumping off a branch to fly – I think you did terrifically to get these shots.

    • Dick, they certainly do have a mind of their own when taking off. In this case I’d have been better off if I hadn’t been using my tc so I’d have had less chance of clipping wings…

  14. These photos are just incredible! They made me smile. Thank you.

  15. I just love beginning my morning with your photos! (Insert delightfully redundant repetition of OH WOW! here.) What a spectacular series and another Oh WOW just for the meadowlark. Just sharing an epiphany here–I’ve discovered that the concepts of always and never just don’t work with birds and critters in The Great Out There. Just when you think you’ve got it, they’ll change it all up and expand your brain again!

    • “I’ve discovered that the concepts of always and never just don’t work with birds and critters in The Great Out There”

      I agree, Laura. I actually thought of that very fact when I wrote “I thought birds ALWAYS flatten their feathers before they take off”, especially since I once photographed a red-tail rousing in flight immediately after take off – here’s the link.

      https://www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2015/08/01/red-tailed-hawk-a-rousing-take-off/

      But then I just got lazy and didn’t fix what I’d said. Should have. I always should never say always or never… 🙂

      • And yet another series of outrageously spectacular shots, chronicling that they don’t (never) do (redtail taking off in mid-rouse)! What’s really arrogant is when you see them behead the critter they’ve caught in mid-air, eating on the fly. They’re just showing off then. SO not fair we’re stuck on the ground.
        You ROCK!

  16. Simply amazing wonderful behavioral series Ron! Thanks for sharing, I would never have gotten to see this if not for your amazing shots! Thanks!
    Charlotte

  17. Ron: Thank you, I have never seen this, and did not know about it. Part of why I appreciate your daily emails so much. The other part is your great photography.

  18. Sure does look like a balloon! 🙂 I’ve never seen one do that! Wonderful series, Ron.

Comments are closed