Species: Sturnella neglecta

This species occurs in flocks of up to 10-75 birds in winter.<br><br>Predators include: hawks, crows, skunks, weasels, raccoons, and coyotes.<br><br>This species is regarded as an intolerant host of the brown-headed cowbird (<i>Molothrus ater</i>) in some areas and is known to eject the eggs of this parasitic species (Hergenrader 1962). Brood parasitism rates of more than 40 percent, however, have been recorded (Davis 1994; Klute 1994; Koford et al., in press), although other studies have recorded lower parasitism rates (Hergenrader 1962, Friedmann 1963, Bent 1958, Maher 1973, Hill 1976). In Manitoba, a relatively high brood parasitism rate of 44 percent on 65 nests was recorded (Davis 1994; Davis and Sealy 2000). Within native grasslands in North Dakota, frequency of brood parasitism on 294 nests was 47 percent; within Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and dense nesting cover (DNC) grasslands, the frequency of brood parasitism on 26 nests was 19 percent (Koford et al., in press). Within annually burned and moderately grazed tallgrass pastures in Kansas, the brood parasitism rate for 6 nests was 83 percent (Klute 1994).