Need you all's help here.

We spotted this Meadowlark posing for us today at SPI. However we are not sure based on the wings whether this is Eastern or Western variety. Please choose the one we think it is as this would be another Lifer for us! Thanks.




Gary and Natasha,
Harlingen, TX
Zone 9



Cameras:
Nikon D300
Digital Rebel (6mps)
Digital Rebel XT (8mps)

Lenses:
AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.5 - 5.6 IS USM
Sigma APO 135-400mm F4.5-5.6 ASPHERICAL
Sigma APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG HSM

Gary, Natasha,

If I had to call it, I'd say Eastern, simply because the yellow of the throat doesn't extend up onto the malar area (that is, the part of the face extending directly from the lower mandible). Typically, on a western, that area is yellow; on an eastern, it's whitish gray.

Although that's not a completely foolproof ID mark, it looks pretty clean in this case. But without seeing more of the bird out of the grass or hearing it, I'd still probably list it as "meadowlark species" if it were my list and I were in your area, just because I'm fairly critical of my own ID skills on very similar birds like this.

Kevin Morgan
Baton Rouge, LA

I would have to go with Eastern for the same reason that the yellow is so strickly confined to the throat.

Jeff

Hi Gary! I'm in agreement with the others....I'd say Eastern as well.


(Minnesota)