Bird Guide

Long-tailed Meadowlark vs Red-breasted Meadowlark

Long-tailed Meadowlark (Leistes loyca)

Long-tailed Meadowlark

Leistes loyca

Medium113 gGrassland

Long-tailed meadowlark males average 27 cm (11 in) long. Males weigh an average of 112 g (4.0 oz) and females 97 g (3.4 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies L. l. loyca have a mostly blackish head with a long supercilium that is red from the bill to the eye and white beyond it, a white lower eyelid, and a short white "moustache". Their upperparts, wings, and tail are mostly brown with blackish streaks. A few wing coverts are rosy red and the underwing coverts are pale grayish white. Their chin, throat, and breast are rosy red with blackish sides. Voice: Both sexes of the long-tailed meadowlark sing, usually from a perch. One description of the song is a descending "chup chup chup tchew ee chew chewee chweeeew". The species' calls are "peet and chuck".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Pablo Vezzani · CC BY 3.0
Red-breasted Meadowlark (Leistes militaris)

Red-breasted Meadowlark

Leistes militaris

Small48 gGrassland

The red-breasted meadowlark is a small icterid, 19 cm (7.5 in) long and weighing 40–48 g (1.4–1.7 oz). Males are larger than females. The male has mainly black plumage, apart from a bright red throat, belly and wing epaulets. This striking "redcoat" plumage gives rise to the specific name militaris and the Trinidadian name "soldier bird". The female has buff edged dark brown upperpart feathers, buff underparts with a reddish tinge, and pale streaks through the crown and eye. Juveniles resemble the female, but are paler and lack the reddish tint to the underparts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Red-breasted Meadowlark
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Napo: km 1.5 Inchillaqui road near Archidona, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: http://www.birdphotos.com · CC BY 3.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Long-tailed Meadowlark and Red-breasted Meadowlark.