Lark id request, from Romania 2019 (1 Viewer)

[Earnest lad]

Please may I request advice. To be honest I posted this pic previously (4 years ago I think) : Some kind soul (more knowledgeable than myself) suggested Short-toed Lark.
However I continued to have doubts, hoping for a Calandara Lark lifer.
I seem to think the bill might be too big for short-toed and better for Calandra . Also I have seem some online photos of juv. Calandra lark that seem to be very like this bird. Still I stand ready to be corrected if necessary.
So if anyone might be able to offer some suggestions on this "cold case" LOL, I would be most appreciative.
Sorry for the poor quality of photo.

 

[kuzeycem]

Juvenile Greater Short-toed

 

[Earnest lad]

Juvenile Greater Short-toed

Thank you so much. Now that species would be a lifer for me. Sorry to be a nuisance, but would it be possible for you to kindly provide some reasons for arriving at that conclusion so that I can learn from you.

 

[kuzeycem]

Thank you so much. Now that species would be a lifer for me. Sorry to be a nuisance, but would it be possible for you to kindly provide some reasons for arriving at that conclusion so that I can learn from you.

Hi, no nuisance at all but I do find it personally hard to describe some of my ID's that are based on general impression more than anything else. Juvenile larks usually don't show the identifying plumage features of adults. One thing on this bird however is the clear white supercilium, fitting GSTL.
Impression-wise; small-headed, longish-tailed, almost no primary projection (though hard to judge on a juv), short but thick pinkish bill.
Calandra is a really different thing, much larger headed and billed, very front-heavy.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Earnest,

adding to the helpful comments from Kuzeycem (thanks from me too!):

for ageing of your bird:
please note the dark centers to the back and the neat pale fringes resulting in a fresh and uniform scalloped pattern. This is good for many juvenile Lark species and unlike the untidy/messy streaking of many adult larks (more streaky, tramlines or a hard to describe pattern there).

for the species:
Please note the really long tertials, adult Calandra Larks have shorter ones and a visible pp. I havent seen juvenile Calandra Lark in the field, but I have learned that juvenile Calandra Larks can have a much shorter pp


Anyway, please compare to this juvenile Calandra Lark with the neat and fresh scalloped pattern on the back calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra calandra), juvenile, Spain, Belchite Stock Photo - Alamy

 

[Earnest lad]

Hi, no nuisance at all but I do find it personally hard to describe some of my ID's that are based on general impression more than anything else. Juvenile larks usually don't show the identifying plumage features of adults. One thing on this bird however is the clear white supercilium, fitting GSTL.
Impression-wise; small-headed, longish-tailed, almost no primary projection (though hard to judge on a juv), short but thick pinkish bill.
Calandra is a really different thing, much larger headed and billed, very front-heavy.

Thank you for sharing your experience with this species. I am sorry for the delay in responding as I have been indisposed.
After considering your comments, I am going for Greater Short-toed Lark. The clincher is the very short pp you pointed out, and the small head, with a long tail.

 

[Earnest lad]

Hello Earnest,

adding to the helpful comments from Kuzeycem (thanks from me too!):

for ageing of your bird:
please note the dark centers to the back and the neat pale fringes resulting in a fresh and uniform scalloped pattern. This is good for many juvenile Lark species and unlike the untidy/messy streaking of many adult larks (more streaky, tramlines or a hard to describe pattern there).

for the species:
Please note the really long tertials, adult Calandra Larks have shorter ones and a visible pp. I havent seen juvenile Calandra Lark in the field, but I have learned that juvenile Calandra Larks can have a much shorter pp


Anyway, please compare to this juvenile Calandra Lark with the neat and fresh scalloped pattern on the back calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra calandra), juvenile, Spain, Belchite Stock Photo - Alamy

Thanks ever so much for sharing the photo and adding your most helpful comments here. I apologize for the delay in replying as I have not been able to manage it until now due to some difficult circumstances. Things are OK now.
I looked at the photo in the link and indeed can see the longer tertials than what would be the case with Calandra: Even with it being a juvenile bird, my bird appears to have a longer pp than would be the case with a Greater Short-toed Lark. All in all, your comment, together with those of Kuzecem above, clinch it for me as that species.

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

The original post and discussion https://www.birdforum.net/threads/sinoe-romania-lark-species.378057

New link to Blasco Zumeta's site Guia Blasco Zumeta de Aves click on species file, then non-passerines for access to families pdf's

Juvenile GSTL in Portugal note pp ML108291241 - Greater Short-toed Lark - Macaulay Library

Grahame

 

[Earnest lad]

The original post and discussion https://www.birdforum.net/threads/sinoe-romania-lark-species.378057

Grahame

Thank you

 

[Earnest lad]

The bird, in the picture appears to be quite challenging to identify. Some suggestions range from Short toed Lark to Calandra Lark. However based on the presence of a supercilium a small head and a long tail it seems more likely that it is a Juvenile Greater Short toed Lark (GSTL). The absence of projection and the presence of a thick bill further support this identification as opposed to it being a Calandra Lark. Additionally the dark centers and neat pale fringes on its back that form a scalloped pattern are features seen in many juvenile larks, including GSTLs, but not consistent with the messy streaking commonly found in adult Calandra Larks. Given these observations and characteristics mentioned earlier your inclination, towards it being a Greater Short toed Lark seems founded.

Thank you for your informative answer. I lean toward GSTL given this is a consensus, provided by several very proficient and knowledgeable birders here, including yourself. I accept the characteristics helpfully provided and they contributed to my knowledge : I can see GSTL now, and that Calandra Lark is not likely.