Horned (Shore) Lark subspecies

[Glen Tepke]

I am wondering what subspecies of Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris), also known as Shore Lark, these are:

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5774&password=&sort=1&size=medium&cat=525&page=

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5773&password=&sort=1&size=medium&cat=525&page=

The photos were taken very near the coast in northeastern Massachusetts 11/11/02. This was the closest look at this species I've had in this area and I was surprised at how dark the birds were and at the extent of the reddish patches on the nape, sides and wings. The subspecies alpestris, which breeds in northeastern Canada, is a common migrant here. None of the field guide illustrations or descriptions I have found indicate that alpestris gets this dark and red. To me they look closest to some of the west coast (of North America) mountain subspecies, such as rubea or strigata. Any thoughts on the subspecies from anyone more familiar with these birds?

[Glen Tepke]

Malky - Thanks for the input. What source is this quote from? Glen

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Glen,

Malky's quote is from Svensson, Identification Guide to European Passerines.

I've only seen N European flava (and SE European balcanica, which has a very different face pattern); yours don't look anything like flava.

Yet identification of putative vagrant alpestris in Britain is considered highly dubious and is, so far, unverified. This suggests flava and alpestris are very similar, and a real i.d. challenge to separate.

Your birds show a lot more orange-purple than just the lesser coverts - also the mantle, greater coverts and flanks - and would stand out like a very sore thumb in a flock of flava.

I'd agree with you, I don't think these are alpestris. But what race they are, I wouldn't like to say!

Is there any banding information on migration movements in Horned Larks in N America?

Michael

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Malky,

4th edition revised & enlarged. But my other comments following weren't based on Svensson, they're from discussions on surfbirds and/or UKBN (I forget which!!) about reputed (but unverified) alpestris records on Scilly and elsewhere

Michael

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Malky,

Only 15?? A quick scan of my books found 19 named races, 11 old world and 8 new world - and I suspect that's not a complete list!

Michael

[Glen Tepke]

James F. Clements' Birds of the World: A Checklist, which North American birders generally rely on for taxonomy, lists 41 subspecies of Horned Lark, 27 New World and 14 Old World.

This Canadian site gives descriptions of alpestris (common migrant here) and praticola (uncommon breeder) but I don't think either fits my pictures:

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/nsbirds/bns0253.htm

I have received conflicting input from two authoritative North American birders; one said he had never seen such a dark Horned Lark in eastern NA and the other said that alpestris sometimes gets this dark. Another very knowledgable American birder said that in California there is often as much variation within subspecies as between subspecies, which renders the subspecies concept rather meaningless.

Glen

[Glen Tepke]

I agree with your comments about subspecies and I realize that most cannot be separated in the field. But these Horned Larks looked so odd to me that I thought I would try.

The pictures were taken with a digital camera (no film), a Nikon CP 995 which is known for pretty good color fidelity. I haven't noticed any significant color bias before. The pictures of Snow Bunting in my gallery were taken on the same date and location if you want another shot for reference.

Glen