This is bird note. The once thought to be a subspecies of the eastern meadowlark,

this bird was recognized in 2022 as a separate species, the Chihuahuan Meadowlark. Keen observers have

long known that the Chihuahuan Meadowlarkarks song sounds different from other North American meadowlarks.

Named after the northern region of Mexico where they're easy to find, Chihuahuan meadowlarks live in dry desert grasslands.

They form a distinct population in Mexico and the southwestern U.S.

They have a similar build to other meadowlarks, but with lighter brown streaks on their

sides and less yellow on their bellies.

And of course, a song all their own.

The Chihuahuan meadowlarks recognition as a species was aided by Joanna Beam, a PhD student

who studied the song patterns and

DNA of North America's meadowlark populations. The research suggested that song differences

could help prevent Chihuahuan meadowlarks from breeding with other species, and that

eastern and western meadowlarks are more closely related to each other than they are to the Chihuahuan birds.

Now, the Chihuahuan meadowlark has a name that recognizes the species' uniqueness

and that pays tribute to the desert landscapes that these birds call home.

For bird note, I'm Ariana Rimmel.