Long-tailed Meadowlark Leistes loyca Scientific name definitions

The Long-tailed Meadowlark is a common and widespread inhabitant of open country in lowlands and middle elevations of the cone region of southern South America in Argentina and Chile, as well as the Falkland Islands. The male is scalloped black, brown and gray on the upperparts, with a white supercilium and malar, and a black cap and auriculars, The lores, throat, chest, and belly are red bordered with black, and the underwings are white (a useful and distinctive mark in flight). The female is similarly patterned, with brownish upperparts and underparts, a white supercilium and throat, and a wash of pale pink to the belly. This species can easily be confused with the smaller Pampas Meadowlark (Sturnella defilippii), the male of which shows black underwings. The Long-tailed Meadowlark forages on the ground in fields, but often perches on fences and sticks; and can easily when simply driving through its habitat.

Male average 26·9 cm, 112·4 g; female average 97·1 g. Male nominate race is mostly brown with blackish streaks above, head  and side of neck blackish; long super­ciliary line red  in front of eye and white posteriorly, white submoustachial stripe and lower eyelid; marginal wing-coverts rosy red; chin to throat  and underparts rosy red surrounded by blackish, belly black, side of breast to flanks and undertail-coverts striped buffish and black; underwing-coverts pale greyish-white; iris dark brown; bill bluish-ivory, culmen and tip blackish-brown; legs grey-brown. Differs from similar L. defilippii in larger size, longer tail and bill, pale underwing-coverts. Female  is paler than male  , with white throat, no red in superciliary; underparts with much heavy streaking surrounding pale red lower belly. Juvenile resembles female, but red below reduced, often just a pale pink patch, also bill paler. Race catamarcanus is paler than nominate; obscurus is darker than nominate, with red below restricted more to upper belly; <em>falklandicus</em> has longer bill than nominate, bill  slightly wide at tip (“spatulate”), also some white on outermost tail feathers.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Mesic to dry grasslands and shrubby steppes of various types. In drier Andes partial to relatively wet grasslands (vegas) along watercourses or near marshes, often with clumps of pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), also irrigated fields; in more humid highlands of Córdoba and San Luis (Argentina) found in rocky grasslands of Festuca and Stipa, also steppes of the resinous romerillo shrub (Heterothalamus alienus). Along Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires lives in bunch-grass formation of humid depressions near coastal dunes. In Patagonia in the most mesic or humid shrubby steppe, reaching edge (and clearings) of southern beech (Nothofagus) forest. In Falklands found in whitegrass (Cortaderia pilosa) fields, also near settlements. Is nowadays seen in agricultural fields (wheat) and planted pastures. Nominate race recorded from sea-level up to 2800 m; race catamarcanus occurs at 1200–3100 m, sometimes up to 3500 m; race obscurus breeds above 1100 m.

Arthropods (mostly insects), seeds and some fruit (Berberis). Feeds on maize (Zea mays) seeds in W Argentina. In Falkland Is said to feed on planted potatoes by probing and possibly gaping through the top soil. Forages mostly on ground and in low vegetation. Often turns pieces of dung or debris to find hidden prey. Perches in shrubs, on rocks and in small trees, also on poles and fence posts. Commonly forages in groups; during austral winter sometimes in flocks of up to 100 individuals.

Song , by both sexes, usually from perch (e.g. shrub, rock, fence post), male rarely while flying, quite variable in different areas (possibly dialects): some populations produce whistles or warbles followed by long nasal buzz; others sing phrases of up to 8 notes, usually mixing some harsh buzzes; songs of race catamarcanus may have reduced pitch range (1·5–5 kHz). Breeding partners may duet. Calls “peet” and “chuck”  .

Season Sept–Jan in Chile and Argentina; nesting sometimes starts in late Aug in Falkland Is. Probably monogamous. Solitary breeder, nesting in pairs; pairs rather scattered and territorial in Sierra de San Luis (race obscurus). Nest built by female, a cup of plant material, mostly grass stems, sometimes with partial dome-shaped roof, external dimensions quite variable, two nests from Argentina have inner diameter 8–11 cm and internal depth 5·5–9 cm, built within depression on ground among dense vegetation, quite well hidden and difficult to find, sometimes a tunnel leading through vegetation to nest; nests in Falklands nest may be up to 1 m above ground in clump of the tussock grass Poa flabellata. Clutch 3–4 eggs , buff to grey, densely marked with darker spots, blotches and lines, mean dimensions 28·6 × 20·6 mm (nominate race), 30·3 × 21·1 mm (falklandicus), eggs laid at daily intervals; incubation by female, male may guard nest, both sexes feed chicks ; no information on duration of incubation and nestling periods; family group persists for some months. Nests parasitized by Molothrus bonariensis in Argentina.