FORT SILL, Okla., Feb. 11, 2016 -- Lark n. a source of or quest for amusement or adventure

This column's namesake is a bird common to Oklahoma, as well as many other open spaces in America. However, because our state is smack dab between three coasts, it tends to collect a variety of flora and fauna that congregate mostly east or mostly west, including both species of meadowlarks.

Yep. Two kinds of meadowlarks. Eastern. And Western. However, they're kind of hard to tell apart just by looks, and for those of us who are tone deaf and aren't true-blue birders, even their song differences might prove problematic. So let's just call them all "meadowlarks."

Seen from the back, these birds blend into the brown grasses that dominate the landscape this time of year. From the front, they're hard to miss. Their vivid lemon yellow breasts glow in the sunlight, and are especially eye-catching when the bird sits on a fence post or tree branch.

They're doing that more and more now that spring is approaching. Males prefer a podium from which to belt out their love songs to the winsome ladies, and it's easier to get close to these birds when they're so single-mindedly occupied.

Another distinguishing mark is the black V-neck collar plunging down the yellow breast. This color combination is also shared by a smaller prairie bird, the dickcissel.

Unlike the meadowlark, the dickcissel is not a year-round resident. It spends winters in southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, returning to the grasslands of America's midsection when it's time to mate. Also unlike the meadowlark, only the males sport the black collar.

While the meadowlark is more closely allied with the blackbirds, the dickcissel is a member of the cardinal family. If you go by looks and size, it more resembles a sparrow. Or, a meadowlark Mini-Me. The lark, on the other hand, is another type of bird entirely. Alas, the meadowlark is not really a lark.

However, if you should spend time in a meadow, just on a lark, enjoying a late winter's walk, you might actually see a horned lark or two. But that's a story for another time.