Sprague's pipit??

[kickback]

I saw a pair of these birds in short prairie grass near the Big
Johnson reservoir in Colorado Springs. They could also be juvenile
horned larks.

Any comments on their species are welcome.

Picture is at: http://avoapples.com/birds/img_0265_web.jpg

Thinks,

Bill

[Nathan Pieplow]

Bill,

Great photo! As you suspected, this is a juvenile Horned
Lark. Juvenile Horned Larks and adult Sprague's Pipits present a
classic identification problem, one that was covered by Tony
Leukering in his "In the Scope" article in the most recent issue of
Colorado Birds (April 2009). Among other key field marks, your
excellent photo shows the clincher: the primary extension. This
bird's primaries extend far beyond the tertials. In Sprague's Pipit,
the tertials are so long and the primaries so short that the
primaries are barely visible on the folded wing.

I appreciate the opportunity that you gave me to review and improve
my own ID skills.

Nathan Pieplow
Boulder