As I noted in my post yesterday, the meadowlark I found in Salida that was singing the Eastern Meadowlark song showed white in the malar area which is listed as one important field mark. For those who viewed the photos on my blog, it is clear that the yellow on the throat does invade the malar area. However, ABA Bird Photo Quiz #29 (see at http://www.aba.org/photoquiz/quizans29.html) notes that it is the extent of the yellow that is important for this field mark in distinguishing Western from Eastern Meadowlarks when other characteristics such as the brightness of the yellow. Though the bird I photographed has more yellow in the malar area (as defined by Sibley: ),it is not a lot more than in the ABA bird photo. In regard to their bird photo, the ABA quiz states, "So, using Sibley's definition of malar, we see that there is a bit of yellow that extends into the otherwise white malar. Usually when we think of yellow malar, we think Western Meadowlark. In this case, however, the yellow is very limited. Given the brightness of the throat and lores, it is much more limited than we would expect from on a bright Western Meadowlark."
That ABA quiz goes on to add that their bird has a bold head pattern with a dark eyeline and "lateral crown stripes that contrast boldly with what we can see of the median crown stripe and the rest of the face—very suggestive of Eastern Meadowlark." I believe the bird I photographed also shows a bold head pattern and contrasting eyeline and lateral crown stripes relative to photos of Western Meadowlarks (though I want to add a caveat for both my photos and the ABA photo--the amount of ambient light and angle of light influence those features on photographs so I think it's important to be aware that I took that photo late in the afternoon when the light was fading). ABA furthers remarks, "extensively streaked flanks are also typical of breeding season Eastern Meadowlarks." While I didn't get photos showing enough of the sides of the Salida bird to expose the extent of streaking, it clearly has dark streaks on it's flank. In regard to distinguishing the Salida meadowlark from the Lilian's Meadowlark, now it's own species, *Sturnella lilianae*, Jaramillo and Burke in *New World Blackbirds* says, ". . . Eastern Meadowlarks show streaking on the face which lessens the contrast between the dark eyeline and the paler cheeks, on "Lilian's Meadowlark' the cheeks are much less streaked and therefore show a greater contrast with the dark eyeline." The Salida meadowlark photos show clear streaks on the cheeks of this bird. More to come. SeEtta Moss Canon City http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
