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Erlanger's Lark? Ethiopia, observed last week (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jstanleyg
- Start date
Well, it certainly looks like the bird I identified as Erlanger's when I visited Ethiopia a few years ago.
It took me a while to get my ID, as I was using 'Birds of the Horn of Africa' and the illustration there doesn't show any loral line or the continuation of this behind the eye, whereas this is a strong feature as can be seen from your photos. Also the patches on the throat sides are shown with a lot of red and only a touch of black. Since the line can be used to eliminate possibilities in some cases, I had a problem. And because it's an endemic, it wasn't in my other books. Eventually, I found online photos showing this line (and the throat black). Since then, I have also got the huge 'Birds of Africa', and the illustration there does a better job of showing the loral stripe and the black on the throat sides.
In central Ethiopia, I don't think there's any other possibility that would look like this.
It took me a while to get my ID, as I was using 'Birds of the Horn of Africa' and the illustration there doesn't show any loral line or the continuation of this behind the eye, whereas this is a strong feature as can be seen from your photos. Also the patches on the throat sides are shown with a lot of red and only a touch of black. Since the line can be used to eliminate possibilities in some cases, I had a problem. And because it's an endemic, it wasn't in my other books. Eventually, I found online photos showing this line (and the throat black). Since then, I have also got the huge 'Birds of Africa', and the illustration there does a better job of showing the loral stripe and the black on the throat sides.
In central Ethiopia, I don't think there's any other possibility that would look like this.
MJB
Well-known member
Indeed. The recent paper Stervander et al 2016 states "...the approximately 4my old divergence between clades F (C. blanfordi eremica and C. b. daaroodensis) and G (C. erlangeri and C. blanfordi blanfordi) [was] totally unexpected."
Their map shows the distribution of taxon erlangeri as restricted to C & N Ethiopia and C. blanfordi blanfordi in nearby Eritrea to the north and just into N & NNW Ethiopia. Hence MacNara's conclusion is unassailable!
MJB
Reference
Stervander, M, P Alström, U Olsson, U Ottosson, B Hansson and S Bensch. 2016. Multiple instances of paraphyletic species and cryptic taxa revealed by mitochondrial and nuclear RAD data for Calandrella larks (Aves: Alaudidae). Mol. Phyl. Evol. 102: 233–245.
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Thank you MacNara and MJB. I also found the illustration in Birds of the HOA to be a little deceiving, though I thought was good enough to rule out Blanford's (though distribution did that as well). Oh well, still a great field guide in my opinion even if illustrations could be better (especially cisticolas).
Brian J Small
Well-known member
Well, Brian, the comment was just about a detail of one lark. As far as I can see, Erlanger's Lark has a fairly strong black line from the bill to the eye which appears to continue behind the eye, whereas the illustration in Birds of the Horn doesn't show this: there is nothing in front of the eye, and there is a series of black streaks behind the eye, none of which stands out. (Visibility of the black breast patches seems to vary depending on angle, as you can see in my attached pictures which show the same bird.)
But, for what it's worth, I thought Birds of the Horn of Africa was easy to use and reliable, as is Stevenson and Fanshawe which shares a lot of your illustrations. (And your warblers in Birds of East Asia are appreciated, too). Unlike some of the responders on BF, I'm just a bog-standard guide user, not an expert in my own right. Also, I can only make short trips, so I tend only to see one or just a couple of examples of many species, so I don't see enough to appreciate range of variation. For these reasons I can't judge whether a feature in an illustration is essential or not.
But: it's because the illustrations are so good and reliable in general that a detail like this is given importance!
I have talents in several areas, but not a scrap of artistic ability (and I can't sing either). I'd give a lot to have a tiny fraction of your skill.
Attachments
While I was looking back at my Ethiopia photos for Erlanger's Lark, I noticed that I had one lark which I had left unidentified. I have only two pictures, both basically the same. I thought it might be either Foxy Lark or Gillett's Lark. It's from Awash NP. Can anyone reading this thread help?
Attachments
Brian J Small
Well-known member
It's fine, I'm cool. I was only teasing really... though I am still crying into my morning's coffee.
B
Looks like Foxy to me with that white supercilium, beak shape, and darker streaked back (from Gillett's), possibly the rufous form shown in BoHoA (I'm always learning new way to abbreviate it!), Though it's a little hard to tell from the angle.
And Brian, I will just echo MacNara in saying that one small feature was seemingly a little off. Your illustrations are excellent, and for all I know, novice that I am, other Erlanger's may look more like your illustration than my photo. Keep up the good work! (Hope your coffee isn't too watered down!)
And Brian, I will just echo MacNara in saying that one small feature was seemingly a little off. Your illustrations are excellent, and for all I know, novice that I am, other Erlanger's may look more like your illustration than my photo. Keep up the good work! (Hope your coffee isn't too watered down!)
