[Marmot]

I was just having a look around to see if I could add any extras to the database and noticed that we didn't have a Thekla Lark.
The only one we have is by Andrew S and to take his quotation :-

"trip has been the first one on which I have felt confident enough to claim Thekla Lark, but I am quite ready for someone out there to contradict me... In Morocco Thekla and Crested Larks are supposedly both very common (and both present in this area) but none of my photos looked like Crested (although not that many different specimens"

The link to this is

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/...cat/500/page/2

Can anyone confirm this?

[StuartReeves]

A tricky one, and no mistake... Armed with my trusty Collins guide, the bill of this bird appears rather robust and not particularly long, and the streaking on the breast is distinct and well-defined and on a pale background. Those features and the general cold grey colouration are all pointers to Thekla. However the crest appears rather spiky which is apparently more of a Crested feature. I would have expected Crested to have a more rusty tone around the flanks/breast but my experience of both species is limited to Europe so may not be relevant to the NW african sub-species. However, if pushed I would call this one a Thekla.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Wasn't there an ID thread about this photo? There's definitely been a thread on North African Thekla/ Crested Larks.

[Brian Stone]

First in the similars at the bottom of the page:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=15033

[Marmot]

Thanks for that, Looks like the general opinion in that link is for the Thekla.

I will see give it another day or so to see if anyone else has any comments about it and if its ok with the majority I will upload it to the database.