LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

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:

I was driving down Beach Street, and I noticed a different silhouette on the wire down Isaac Street. It was a Lark Bunting. I took photos, tried to set my scope up to get photos through it but a burst of traffic scared the bird, which flew north, dropping into an adjacent weedy meadow. I drove the neighborhood streets, and on Lillian Street, a smaller bird hopped up on a power line with a big grackle. It was the bunting, and it remained perched for a few minutes.

15. Description:

A large streaky gray and white sparrow with a broad white wing stripe and white tail corners and a fairly strongly patterned face. Exact tones of gray vs. gray-brown hard to determine.

Face with gray auricular patch outlined with slightly darker gray or gray-brown. Auricular bordered above and before by broad whitish supercilia and plain pale lores, below by broad whitish malar stripe. Small isolated white spot in lower rear edge of auricular patch. Fairly broad and widening moustache. Crown medium gray or grayish-brown. Thin white eyering blended into supercilia. Bill silvery gray, large, conical, with curved culmen. Culmen broadly dusky.

Mantle silvery gray with thin distinct darker gray or gray brown streaking.

Wings with dark gray flight feathers, tertials edged pale. White wingbars/patches formed by broad white edges to greater secondary coverts, and especially by largely white outer greater coverts.

Underparts whitish with broad dark gray longitudinal flank streaking.

Tail dark gray with white outer edge, and white corners.

Eye dark brown. Legs grayish.

16. Voice: Didn’t notice.

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation): Not really any close contenders with the exception of aberrantly plumaged sparrows. However, photos conclusively show a Lark Bunting.

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

19. Previous experience with this species: Some experience with flocks on wintering grounds in Texas over the years, as well as several visits through the breeding range as recently as 2009. Overall, I’ve seen many thousands of these birds at least.

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

21. Date: 02/21/2012