Galerida theklae.

Equipamento: Canon 5D + EF 400mm f/5.6L USM

1 Abraço,
Pedro

Linda foto!!!
Cores e pose muito bonitos!!

Abraço
Carlos Patrício

Parabéns! Ficou mesmo bem!

Olá Pedro,

Muito boa a foto. Excelente aproximação e detalhe. Pela plumagem parece um juvenil - será?

Relativamente à identificação da ave a nível de espécie, parece-me ser um verdadeiro quebra-cabeças. Se a identificação dos adultos não é fácil, a dos juvenis (como me parece ser o caso) ainda é mais complicada pois a plumagem é mais semelhante entre amdas as espécies. Tenho estado a olhar para o bico desta ave - a mandíbula inferior é muito rectilínea e normalmente isso aponta mais para G. cristata do que para G. theklae, mas confesso que não é esta a característica que mais utilizo mais para separar as duas espécies (normalmente recorro mais à vocalização). Podes dar mais detalhes sobre esta ave?

1 abraço,
Gonçalo

Obrigado a todos!

Gonçalo aqui vão mais duas fotos, não sei se ajudam??? Pelo canto pareceu-me mais uma theklae (mas também é verdade que pouco cantaram???)



Uma outra ave do bando de 3 ind.:



1 abraço,
Pedro

Pedro,

As well as being technically excellent photographs (especially #1), these are the best shots I have seen of 'theklae' in terms of identification features.

My congratulations,

Colin

Colin Key escreveu:Pedro,

As well as being technically excellent photographs (especially #1), these are the best shots I have seen of 'theklae' in terms of identification features.

My congratulations,

Colin

Hi Colin,

Could you please elaborate a bit more about this?

1 abraço,
Gonçalo

Gonçalo Elias escreveu:

Colin Key escreveu:Pedro,

As well as being technically excellent photographs (especially #1), these are the best shots I have seen of 'theklae' in terms of identification features.

My congratulations,

Colin

Hi Colin,

Could you please elaborate a bit more about this?

1 abraço,
Gonçalo

Hello Gonçalo,

I.D. points apparent from Pedro's photos (and in relation to an earlier thread in which I have posted Crested and Thekla shots in the English-speaking section):

1. The bill is short and the base of the lower mandible is straight, not decurved as in Crested (this, in my opinion, is the most important and most reliable I.D. feature).

2. The breast streaking is coarse (larger spots) and comes further down to the belly than on Crested.

3. The crest, especially in shot #1, is fuller but not as pointed ("spikey") as in Thekla.

4. The pale emargination to the greater and lesser wing coverts is more apparent than in Crested, and also implies that this is a fresh (post summer moult) autumn adult.

Most of these features are difficult or impossible to see in the field when the furtive movements of these species make observations of more than a second or so impossible. To me, the bill shape and structure combined with the heavy, coarse breast spotting are the safest field I.D. features - the crest in Pedro's shots looks good for Thekla but in all honesty is a useless field characteristic (the crest is fanned and retracted so frequently that shape and size is difficult to assess).

Colin

Hi Colin,

Thanks for your reply.

Colin Key escreveu:1. The bill is short and the base of the lower mandible is straight, not decurved as in Crested (this, in my opinion, is the most important and most reliable I.D. feature).

According to Collins Bird Guide, Crested Lark is the species with the straight lower mandible and Thekla Lark has a decurved (convex) lower mandible. It was based on this that I asked (on my first reply to this message) whether the bird in Pedro's picture might be a Crested Lark.

Now I'm confused.

Hello Gonçalo,

I have just checked back with "Collins" and yes it is a bit confusing! However, they are not always absolutely correct although many take this book as the "bible".

Crested Lark has a distinctly longer bill and, in most birds (it is slightly variable, but not enough to cause confusion), the lower mandible is curved (i.e. a slightly concave lower edge) giving the bill an overall decurved shape.

Thekla Lark has a much shorter bill (the length in both species varies but I do not think there is a complete gradation in size) and the lower mandible has a straight (possibly 'ever so slightly' convex) lower edge giving the bill an overall more conical (almost finch-like) shape.

Take a look at the photos in this thread: https://aves.forumeiros.com/birds-of-portugal-in-english-f10/crested-thekla-t377.htm

It is has always been my assertion that you can only really see this feature well in the field (as opposed to studying a photograph) when the bird is perched and you see the bill profile against a clear background. On the ground the bill is not easy to see (heck, the whole bird is often not easy to see!) since the bill is usually the same colour as the earth and the birds have very furtive movements. I believe that this results in the commonly held belief (in my opinion wrong) that Thekla is more prone to perching than Crested; i.e. Theklas are difficult or imposibble to I.D. on the ground.

Cheers,

Colin

Colin Key escreveu:Hello Gonçalo,

I have just checked back with "Collins" and yes it is a bit confusing! However, they are not always absolutely correct although many take this book as the "bible".

Crested Lark has a distinctly longer bill and, in most birds (it is slightly variable, but not enough to cause confusion), the lower mandible is curved (i.e. a slightly concave lower edge) giving the bill an overall decurved shape.

Thekla Lark has a much shorter bill (the length in both species varies but I do not think there is a complete gradation in size) and the lower mandible has a straight (possibly 'ever so slightly' convex) lower edge giving the bill an overall more conical (almost finch-like) shape.

Gee, I'm confused!

I will try to find out more about this id. aspect.

Best wishes,
Gonçalo

Gonçalo Elias escreveu:

Colin Key escreveu:Hello Gonçalo,

I have just checked back with "Collins" and yes it is a bit confusing! However, they are not always absolutely correct although many take this book as the "bible".

Crested Lark has a distinctly longer bill and, in most birds (it is slightly variable, but not enough to cause confusion), the lower mandible is curved (i.e. a slightly concave lower edge) giving the bill an overall decurved shape.

Thekla Lark has a much shorter bill (the length in both species varies but I do not think there is a complete gradation in size) and the lower mandible has a straight (possibly 'ever so slightly' convex) lower edge giving the bill an overall more conical (almost finch-like) shape.

Gee, I'm confused!

I will try to find out more about this id. aspect.

Best wishes,
Gonçalo

It is not really all that confusing, if you look at the posted photographs. I will maybe get the opportunity to demonstrate the difference between these two DIFFICULT species on Thursday at Ria de Alvor if we manage to meet up there. It is only really difficult for "ornithologists" who like to make things difficult (in order to preserve their elitist status), for "birders" it is a resolvable dilemma.

Hope to see you soon,

Colin