[texbirds] Re: Meadowlark ID in the RGV
- From: Keith Arnold <kbarnold2@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:33:16 -0600
Brush has pointed out the problem with "Lillian's" Meadowlark - it may well
be considered as a separate species in the future. In my 32 years as editor
of the Texas CBCs, since both species can occur in most parts of the state
in winter, I insisted that any meadowlark not ID'd by vocalizations should
be listed as "meadowlark sp." That didn't go well in my early editing
years, but I am pleased to note that more-and-more Texas CBCs followed that
instruction.
Keith Arnold
TAMU/Bryan
On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 12:03 PM, Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> >
> This sounds like the suspect "Lillian's" to me....And as mentioned,
> encountered these confusing critters on the KeR..considered a subspecies of
> EAME, but they can sure rattle off some interesting songs...Just not up on
> call notes....Brush
> **********************************************************************
> Brush Freeman
> 503-551-5150 Cell
> http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/
> Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 12:00 PM, Jim Sinclair <jim.sinclair@xxxxxxxxx
> >wrote:
>
> > There is another issue, as well. Perhaps Glenn Perrigo will chime in,
> but
> > a few years back he watched a bird singing a perfect Eastern song, then
> > switching to a perfect Western song (or vice versa?).
> >
> > I (and others) have long suspected that there is probably a lot more
> > hybridization going on that has not yet been documented. As most here
> > know, the morphological characteristics are almost infinitely variable
> > across the population.
> >
> > Those questions about differences regularly come up during guided tours.
> > While there are some individuals that I am comfortable calling one way or
> > the other based exclusively on morphological characteristics, there are
> > others where I describe those characteristics as I see them, then tell
> the
> > person, "It's your list.".
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 11:47 AM, Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx
> >wrote:
> >
> >> along with some habitat preferences. Flock size seems to be an
> indicator
> >> to me...The larger, in anticipated habitat, the more likely they are
> >> Westerns. I am talking the coastal plain solely here, the two species
> >> seem
> >> almost equally common at very near, to right on the coast and even on
> >> Matagorda Is., in Calhoun, Refugio Co.s in winter. I recall confusing
> >> western types, perhaps the "Lillian's well in Kenedy Co. WEMEs almost
> >> always appear grayer in flight, at least to me, but I dread calling any
> >> meadowlark without hearing it tho.....But there is a really big caveat
> >> here....We have the Lilian's subspecies to contend with in Texas. I
> >> believe John Arvin spent a good bit of time on meadowlarks and also
> >> sometime around 1996-97 there was an very good article in North American
> >> Birds primarily directed towards "Lillian's" but involving the EAMEs and
> >> WEMEs...It may be archived in SORA. I would imagine you guys down
> there
> >> could easily have "Lillian's" in winter as well as the nominates...But I
> >> really don't know....My ears work better than my eyes with these
> >> confounding animals.
> >> **********************************************************************
> >> Brush Freeman
> >> 503-551-5150 Cell
> >> http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/
> >> Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas
> >>
> >>
> >> On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 11:20 AM, <antshrike1@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Here in the Rio Grande Valley it is commonly thought that meadowlarks
> >> > occurring in pairs in coastal grasslands are all Eastern while flocks
> >> > (sometimes large) occurring in barren fields are all Western. I've
> >> heard
> >> > this theory espoused by some fairly big-brained birders. While I find
> >> the
> >> > former supposition to be mostly true, I think the latter is a lot more
> >> > complicated. I seem to hear Eastern Meadowlarks singing everywhere
> and
> >> > rarely hear a Western in song. I guess I need to learn the call
> notes.
> >> > Here's a meadowlark from a flock of about 25 in a barren area south
> of
> >> > Mission. I took the photo figuring I had my Hidalgo County Western
> >> > Meadowlark for the year. But looking at the field guides, it seems to
> >> be
> >> > an Eastern Do you agree?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n610/antshrike/rMealowlarkMissionBikePark1-23-14IMG_7331_zps8c5e0d05.jpg
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > So I guess my point is we (or at least "I") need to to be more careful
> >> > about our meadowlark identification.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Dan Jones, Weslaco
> >> >
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> >
> >
> > --
> > Jim Sinclair (TX-ESA)
> > TOS Life Member
> > Kingsville, TX
> >
> > "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of
> > thinking we were at when we created them." - Albert Einstein
> >
>
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