• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Thekla Lark or Crested Lark (1 Viewer)

Jane Turner said:
Its the length of the bill that made me shout Crestie, combined with the colour of the bird (open to interpretation since its a pic) in a Spanish context....

What if this was taken in Africa.... then you know I might be leaning towards Thekla.... what if its a vagrant?

and John...you are right about the bill tip shape!
Click to expand...

The nearest part of Africa I have been to is Tunesia, but the way I remember it, this picture would not fit with any lark there, both crested and thekla were more sandy-colored.

Niels
 
My initial gut feeling was Thekla but there are one or two anomalies, e.g. absence of a whitish collar effect and the degree of curvature on the upper mandible. I'd be inclined to leave it unidentified in the absence of further pics or description of call, especially at this time of year when the two species overlap most in habitat choice.
 
Sorry, everyone, go my fact the wrong way round on the lower mandible shape!

Having re-assessed the features, although the initial reaction is Crested as I look at the gallery photo, the plumage features do indicate a Thekla, as does the bill shape.

I'm sure I recently saw an ID article in one of the mags about these two species. Can anyone refer me to it?

Not sure if it is relevant, but the primaries don't appear to stick too far beyond the tertials, and there is some moult on the lesser covs. Might that help?

Will go and have a look at my Svensson and stuff

Sean
 
James Lowther said:
Jules,
would you be so kind as to provide us (me anyway) with descriptions of said, highly distinctive calls (i'm off to Spain in February, and would like to pin down Thekla lark, so i never have to bother again ;) )
James
Click to expand...
Hi James
Looks as though you are sorted with the calls thanks to Des, haven't heard the reproduction myself, no speakers on this computer, but I'm sure it will be obvious. Thekla has this very mourneful contact call that is quite easy to pick up, anyway good luck in February.
 
This is the first timehave looked at the pic and despite being a rank amateur I am quite convinced due to the white around the eyes, the bill and the pale fringed coverts that it was a Thekla.
 
This by the way proves my point made a few days ago that ID threads are the only ones where people change their opinions in the face of reasoned argument!
 
Hi Jane,
Surely it is a good thing that people can be open to the views of others and then alter their own opinions. Otherwise would it not be pointless to engage in exchanges of views in these forums?
Harry
 
I have found some images within our own gallery to use for comparisons I have also thoroughly read up the handbook of Bird ID and am beginning to doubt my original suggestion (Crested). I have also been looking at a few video clips of both species.

I had the impression that this bird was found in scrubland and also I had seen that Sotogrande was mentioned, which is on the coast (I was there two weeks ago). I doubted that a Thekla would be found there but a few points are beginning to nag away at me.

1. Thekla's tend to stand more upright than Crested's. This bird certainly seems to be doing that.

2. The bill, now that I am studying it, does seem to be stubbier than I had originally thought and the lower mandible does seem to slightly curve at the base.

3. The Cresed's crest would possibly be spikier than the the Thekla's and this birds crest looks to be fuller than what I would assume a Crested's to be.

I think I was swayed more by location than really looking at the bird, something I know is a silly thing to do.

Overall I am now leaning towards the Thekla. I would like it confirmed where it was found though.

1st two are Crested's

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/4792/sort/1/cat/all/page/2
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/21610/sort/1/cat/all/page/2

Thekla Lark

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/36198/sort/1/cat/all/page/1
 
harryabbott said:
Hi Jane,
Surely it is a good thing that people can be open to the views of others and then alter their own opinions. Otherwise would it not be pointless to engage in exchanges of views in these forums?
Harry
Click to expand...


Absolutely!
The point I was making is that many debates on BF are caused by differences of opinion based on experience or values rather than data... and those do not result in people changing their minds.

ID debates are more often embedded in fact!
 
…. crikey, last time I looked at this thread I was in a minority of one, but now opinion seems to be drifting towards Thekla! A spirit of devilment almost persuades me to announce that I'm now persuaded that it's a Crested. (Mind you, by the time I get round to posting this folks may have swung back the other way!)

However, I have since viewed footage of both species on Paul Doherty's excellent DVDs and am all the more convinced that it is a Thekla. The bill shape in the original photo is, to my eye, identical with the Theklas' bill shapes in Paul's video and very different from his footage of Crested (where the bill looks distinctly longer and quite a different shape). Similarly his Cresteds show a very buffy brown ground colour on the chest whereas the Theklas have a much whiter ground colour. (All these birds consistently show the features of their supposed identities so I don't think Paul's got it wrong).

I should also add that I have problems with the description of Crested's crest as 'spikey'. I prefer to call it 'spiked' (implying a single peak) whereas 'spikey' can equally imply several spikes (i.e confusingly applicable to the fan-like appearance of Thekla's crest). I may dancing on the head of a philological pin here, but it's something that always confused me!

John
 
Thanks, Sean, glad to know I made someone happy! I'm afraid it reflects my sad delving into Medieaval philosphy - how many angels could dance on the head of a pin being one of the things they were particularly interested in. It's a lovely image and one that actually makes more sense than you'd think it being a way - as I understand it- of considering the relationship between the physical and metaphysical. Mind you, I'm more impressed with the thought that Jane T. has an Olympic medal. If so, I doff my cap to her since such an achievement takes real ability & determination, John
 
..........Sorry, Jane, I re-phrase; Maybe this is what JT won her swimming yellow for??

But JT, with those bendy limbs of yours, I can just see you dancing on the head of a philological pin!! Have any photos? ;)

Sean
 
Hi Reader,
In reply to your request for a more detailed location. The bird was photographed on Scrubland about 2kms north of San Enrique village which is itself just north of Sotogrande. Basically we had followed the river Rio Guardiaro upstream into the countryside.
Harry
 
Warning! This thread is more than 19 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

O
Crested or Thekla's Lark, Extremadura, Spain
Replies
3
Views
597
orientaldkf
O
Paul Chapman
Thekla & Crested Lark Identification, Cerro de San Pedro, Madrid, 15th April
Replies
4
Views
462
Paul Chapman
Paul Chapman
JLRamos
Crested or Thekla Lark. Guadalajara. Central Spain
Replies
2
Views
452
JLRamos
JLRamos
01101001
Opus, (mostly) Moroccan subspecies of Thekla's Lark
Replies
12
Views
973
01101001
01101001
G
Iraq - lark?
Replies
2
Views
505
Gretchen
G

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top