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Lark (1 Viewer)

leon

Well-known member
I am really having difficulty ID-ing these birds. This bird does not appear the same as the Spike-heeled lark I asked about yesterday.

My 1st guess would be the Sabota Lark. (Calendulauda sabota)
I say this because of the white on its chin and the white brow.

For the same reasons could also be Melodius Lark (Mirafra cheniana).

It could also be the Fawn-coloured Lark. (Mirafra africanoides).

I suppose it could also be the Large-billed lark(Galerida magnirostris) but I exclude this one as there is no yellow on its beak.

Are there any tips to see the differences. I see the differences in the guide, but looking at the bird confuses all of this.
 

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Hi Leon,

I think you're having difficult because it's difficult! Larks are officially hard, particularly in South Africa where there are so many species and so many variations. I think this is probably a Sabota Lark too, although I'm not absolutely certain. Supporting features are the strong supercillium, lightly buff underparts and thickish breast streaking. It also looks fairly long-tailed and is singing (I think) from a tree, which I seem to remember being a feature of Sabotas. With larks, really pay attention to habitat and to songs (the sound, where they're singing from and the song flight). Most larks have fairly specific habitat requirements e.g. some live in scrubby areas, some like grassland, others like desert.
 
The tail is too long for being Melodious Lark; and appears to show no rufous in primaries; usually present in Melodious. You can exclude Fawn-coloured fairly easily, because lower underparts are always white in this species. So, I'll agree with Andrew on this one, Sabota's Lark. Basically, the lack of rufous in wing, the bill, the distinct eye-brow & the pattern/colour of the underparts leave no other possibilities that I can think of (assuming the two photos are the same species!). Here's a few good hints when looking at South African Larks:

1) Habitat (as mentioned by Andrew).
2) Exact location (many S. African Larks have a very restricted range).

3) Size.
4) Presence or absence of crest.
5) Bill (colour & shape/size).
6) Colour of tail-edges.
7) Facial pattern (pattern & colour).
8) Colour of underparts (throat, chest & belly).
9) Does the bird appear to have chestnut/warm brown in the wing?

10) Voice.

11) Realize and accept that some SA larks will not be identified...!
 
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I don't know why but for some reason the tail looks to long to me for what I would expect in sabota. If I could see any rust color in the primaries I wouldn't hesitate to call the africanoides but I don't see it.
 
cuckooroller said:
Not cheniana. Anyone know what passerina looks like?

M. passerina is easy to exclude; streaks on breast very limited - often not present at all. Similarly, it has no obvious eye-brow. In many ways M. passerina and S. starki are rather similar.
 
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I guess I must have a bunch of sabota with worn tail because the tail length in the first pic still seems too long, but it is the only thing that doesn't jibe for me for sabota. African Larks - the devil take them!!!
 
Just a question out of ignorance, would posting an image like this for the database make sense, or are the example's not representitive enough ?
 
Leon,
You will learn as you go on that each and every bird presents it's own particular nuance. For my money, every photo is a good photo and can present something to learn and maybe something that we haven't seen before but, you'd better believe, the next time we see it we'll remember it. It must be remembered the plethora of factors that can enter into how a bird presents itself. Fresh, or worn plumage, age, breeding or not, moult or what stage of moult, sex, lighting of the photo, meteorological conditions when the photo was shot, evident disease or deformity of the bird, dirty plumage, and that is naming just a few... By all means, these photos are just as representative as any others that I can think of.
 
Thank you, this seems to be a black art.

Lots of experience required to make a good birder!

This thread to me is a keeper for me anyhow, will have a copy in my guide.
 
Hi Leon,
I'm newish to BF, so I only saw these pics now. The bird looks like a typical Sabota to me. Also note the lighter toned lower mandible.
- David Swanepoel
 
Hi Leon
Sorry,I missed this one!Your pictures look like a Sabota Lark but....With Sabota there are differences.Where did you take the picture and what time of year was it?I can't see the size of the of the bill in the picture and thus place of origin will help determine its race,if a few other features are present,too.

Mark
 
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