Long-tailed Meadowlark

The Long-tailed Meadowlark is a ground-dwelling songbird of the open grasslands and steppe of Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Despite the shared common name and superficial resemblance, it is not closely related to the meadowlarks of North America, though both belong to the blackbird family and have converged on a similar grassland lifestyle. It is best known for the male's dramatic scarlet-red throat and breast, which contrast sharply with dark upperparts and make the bird one of the most visually striking songbirds of the pampas and steppe.

Body feathers on the throat and breast of the male show a deep, saturated scarlet-red that extends from the chin down onto the upper belly, each feather with a blackish base that can show through when feathers are ruffled. The upperpart feathers are blackish-brown with narrow buffy or grayish fringes producing a subtly scaled look on the back. The folded wing shows a bold whitish patch formed by pale edges on the covert feathers, useful for confirming species even when the red breast is hidden. The tail is notably long and graduated for the family, with the outer feathers showing white edging visible in flight or when the tail is fanned. Female and juvenile feathers lack the intense red, instead showing a heavily streaked brown-and-buff pattern with only a faint pinkish or salmon wash on the throat.

Adult males in breeding condition show the full scarlet throat and breast bordered by a black malar stripe and blackish upperparts streaked with buff. Females are duller and more cryptic, streaked brown above and buffy below with a muted reddish tinge on the throat that intensifies with age. Immatures resemble females, gradually acquiring the male pattern through successive molts. Wear through the breeding season can dull the red slightly, but a complete molt after breeding restores fresh, saturated color.

This species is a year-round resident across temperate grasslands, agricultural pastures, and open steppe of central and southern Chile and Argentina, with a distinct population on the Falkland Islands. It favors low, open vegetation where it can forage on the ground and perch conspicuously on fence posts, shrubs, or tussock grass to sing. It generally does not undertake long-distance migration, though some populations shift locally in response to seasonal grazing and weather.

Long-tailed Meadowlarks forage by walking and probing along the ground in open pastures, taking a mixed diet of ground-dwelling invertebrates and plant material. Males sing from an exposed perch, often with the red breast fully displayed toward an intruder or rival. Nests are built on the ground, well hidden in dense grass tussocks, and clutches are incubated primarily by the female. The song is a clear, whistled series of notes, often given from a fence post or low shrub, and the birds can also give sharp chattering calls in flight or when alarmed. Flocks may form outside the breeding season, foraging together across open fields.