Greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) ? Algarve today (1 Viewer)

[buck mulligan]

Hello again


Please tell me if this really is a short toed lark or not

Thanks again

 

[Butty]

At right? - no, it looks like a bunting.
Rear-on? - dunno, it's rear-on.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
I agree with Butty: both birds are Corn Buntings imo.
Please note:

The right bird

• chunky, all-yellow (not bicoloured) bill
• the right head pattern with a large soft-pale area around the eye and lores (I hope thats understandable)
• the moustachial stripe is the most prominent stripe in the head-pattern= good for Corn bunting, unusual/rare for Cirl Bunting and Yellowhammer

The left bird is a Corn Bunting for me too:

• pale, sandy-greyish rump and uppertail-coverts. Difficult to be sure, but thats a feature of Corn Bunting.
• straight pale edges to tertials
• many winter plumaged Cirl buntings have rufous or orange scapulars, regular forming a contrasting patch (you have to search for it, but then its obvious). This bird lacks this.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Sorry, once more: "wer lesen kann ist klar im Vorteil".

Both birds arent Greater short-toed larks imo:

left bird: tertials have really contrasting black centers, the darkest part of the wing
right bird: shape of the bill is good for a Bunting and wrong for a Greater short-toed lark as Butty has already said.

Both birds: And I think, streaking to the flanks is too obvious for most Greater short-toed larks. But good for a Bunting. Yes, this is whishful thinking as perspective is bad to judge this with confidence.

 

[buck mulligan]

Halo Alexander
thanks (again) for the quality of your reply



long days in the sun are taking their toll on us 😀

and yes

being able to read is cool 😀


Best regards