Kruger NP, South Africa, pipit ID (1 Viewer)

[screaming piha]

I'm trying to ID this pipit from South Africa for a friend. It was taken in the south of Kruger a couple of weeks ago. I favour Short-tailed Pipit, but don't know my birds from that area well enough to be sure. This is the only pic.

Any suggestions?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It looks more like a lark than a pipit. Maybe Sabota Lark?

 

[Motmot]

Looks more a lark to me, no idea which one though!

 

[JANJ]

One of the Mirafra larks but which one? Could a Large-billed Lark (Galerida magnirostris) be a possibility but maybe to short tailed?

JanJ

 

[gerdwichers8]

the central tailfeathers being barred and the typical fringing to the tertials were tried on Clapper Lark and matched but I could not get the transverse barring to the tertials match this bird. Western form does not have this transfers barring but then again we need a dark centre to the tertials.

 

[gerdwichers8]

Flappet Lark of the subspecies pintoi is my best bet here.
Unfortunately I could not find the particular subspecies but among his kind, pintoi does match and occurs in the Park

The link shows a different subspecies.
http://www.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/votaci...o=13577&tipus=1

 

[screaming piha]

Thanks for the replies. Now you all mention it, obviously a lark. I'm a fool for taking the question "what pipit is this?" on face value.

Flappet seems to fit the structure well, but very sparse for images on google and none of the likely race. Can anyone with experience of pintoi confirm it looks like this?

Thanks

 

[Mos]

It matches perfectly with Mirafra rufocinnamomea pintoi on plumage, besides distribution. This is quite a rare photo. The bird is skulking and unobtrusive when not displaying, while the display flight is so fast and high that it doesn't help either.

 

[screaming piha]

Thanks Mos

I've passed on the info from you and others to the observers, who are very pleased as it is a new bird for all of them. One of them sent me another photo, which I am posting because of your comments that images of this species are unusual.

John

 

[Mos]

Hot stuff, twice as good. Very informative photos. Checked again, I find no good photos of the species in the books I have. Neither are the birds photographed at nests, the nesting details are quite sketchy. There may be some photos around but then I don't know of them.