CLOSED: A Young Meadowlark or Something Else?

(Zone 5a)

The picture is darker than it should be, I had fiddled with the manual settings while taking cloud pictures and the I caught this. By the time I got to the setting I use for birds, it flew away.

Up to this point I have only ID'ed Eastern Meadowlarks, though I suspect I have heard the Western, as well. I am not familiar with the young at all. I don't think this is a juvenile Red-winged Blackbird, as I think they have a lot more streaking on the breast.

The next picture shows the bill better.
Thank you so much.

Thumbnail by Chillybean
(Zone 5a)

Here's the second picture.

Thumbnail by Chillybean
(Zone 5a)

Are the pictures too poor? If so, that's ok. :)

Marlton, NJ

Hmm I'm not sure. Where is Resin, maybe he can tell.

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

Sorry, can't make it out well enough to tell!

Resin

East Bridgewater, MA

It looks good for a Meadowlark, although I can't tell if it's Eastern or Western. If your confident in the call that it was a Western I'd say it probably was. Iowa is right on the line where they both might be seen I believe (although I'm not sure about that 100%).

(Zone 5a)

Eastern versus Western has always been an issue. Living out in the country with open fields and a few trees, we get a lot of them. I found a great site that explains and shows pictures of the two and for me the best way to tell is the tail, because the yellow near the bill can vary so much.

If you think this is a Meadowlark, I am happy with that.

Thank you all.

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