 If you enjoy watching for birds as you drive across Wyoming, you've probably seen the western meadowlark. Males of this species are often observed on fence posts along Wyoming's roadways. Western meadowlarks spend much of their time on the ground foraging for insects and seeds. They can be found in a range of habitats, from sagebrush to cropland. Members of the Blackbird family, they're easy to spot with a bright yellow chest accented with a black v-shaped pattern. Western meadowlarks are found throughout Wyoming during the summer, with occasional winter sightings in the southern part of the state. The western meadowlark looks nearly identical to its cousin, the eastern meadowlark. So much so that they were originally thought to be the same species. The most obvious way to distinguish eastern and western meadowlarks is their song. John James Audubon, the famous 19th century naturalist, identified the western meadowlark as a separate species on a trip up the Missouri River in 1844. Its Latin species, named neglecta, recognizes the fact that it was originally overlooked. Western meadowlark is no longer a neglected species. In fact, it's the state bird of six states, including Wyoming. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Mae Smith, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.