LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

PHOTOS BELOW

1. English and Scientific names: Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys

2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage: 1, winter plumage

3. Locality: Parish: Cameron

Specific Locality: Beach X Isaac streets area, on east side of town.

4. Date(s) when observed: October 14, 2012

5. Time(s) of day when observed: about 2:00 p.m.

6. Reporting observer and address:

Paul Conover

Lafayette LA

7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): Sunny/brightly cloudy

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition): Zeiss 10s, Nikon 20-60 Fieldscope, various cameras.

11. Distance to bird(s): 40 yards and up.

12. Duration of observation: I saw the bird twice, the first time for about a minute, the second time for about 3 minutes.

13. Habitat: Spread out neighborhood on the edge of Cameron. Lots of open fields in full wild growth surrounding the area, and many empty lots.

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation:

Driving down Beach Street, I noticed a bird with a different silhouette on the wire down Isaac Street. It was a Lark Bunting, I took photos. Traffic scared the bird; it flew north, dropping into an adjacent weedy meadow. I drove the neighborhood, and a smaller bird hopped up on a power line with a big grackle behind Lillian Street. It was the bunting again, and it remained perched for a few minutes.

15. Description:

A large streaked and blotched sparrow with well-defined face pattern, large grayish bill, and white patches on wings.

Basically dark above and pale below. Upperparts medium grayish-brown with indistinct darker streaking down mantle. Flight feathers and tail blackish, edged paler gray or buff, somewhat scaly-looking. Median coverts with blackish interior chevrons and broad white margins, creating bold black and white zigzag wingbars. Greater coverts blackish, also with broad white margins. Lesser coverts grayish.

Head pattern: Brownish auriculars set off above by grayish supercilia, beneath by white malar stripe. The white malar extended behind the lower rear edge of the auriculars, creating a distinct white dot between the auriculars and the nape. Thin pale eyering.

Dense dark gray-streaked moustache, connected along base of mandible. Dark streaking of moustache extended as thinner streaks onto breast and flanks. Belly mostly white. Undertail coverts white with a few dark centers. Inner webs of tail feathers white on about distal 1/3 of length.

Bill grayish, duskier on upper half. Somewhat reminiscent of Blue Grosbeak bill.

Eyes dark. Legs appeared dark grayish but I wouldn’t swear to exact color. Nails long.

16. Voice: Didn’t hear.

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation): Size and pattern eliminate other sparrows. Molting Brown-headed cowbird splotchy and mottled but without face pattern, white wing patches, etc.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): Photos and video.

19. Previous experience with this species: Pretty wide, but not to the extent where I’m confident ageing and sexing this species in basic plumage.

20. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain: Yes.

21. Date: 010/15/2012