Peruvian Meadowlark Leistes bellicosus Scientific name definitions

The Peruvian Meadowlark is a classic South American meadowlark with red breast, and lacking the black “V” of the breast of northern meadowlarks. It is restricted to arid grasslands and agricultural regions of the desert zone west of the Andes between Ecuador and northernmost Chile. Due to habitat conversion it is now spreading northward into southernmost Colombia. It is a smaller and shorter-tailed species than the Long-tailed Meadowlark (Sturnella loyca) of the south but larger than and not nearly as blackish as the Red-breasted Blackbird (Sturnella militaris). It is unclear where the species name “bellicosa” comes from, it doesn’t seem to be any more bellicose than any other meadowlark. In the non-breeding season it can even be found in flocks. But in the breeding season they are territorial and display by rising up in the air and giving their strident and buzzy song. Males of this species are very similar to the Pampas (S. defilippii) and the Long-tailed meadowlarks but are thus far allopatric with both. It has white wing linings like the Long-tailed, but unlike the black-winged Pampas. On the other hand it is a short-tailed and shorter billed species like a Pampas, but unlike a Long-tailed Meadowlark. It is not impossible that the Peruvian and Long-tailed may at one point spread so some sympatry is possible. Both have the red supralores and white supercilium, red breast and brownish back. However, the Peruvian is blacker on the face, crown and flanks.

Male average 20·5 cm, 78·5 g; female average 61·4 g. Male nominate race is mostly greyish-brown with blackish streaks above , head  and side of neck blackish; long superciliary line , red  in front of eye and white behind, short white submoustachial stripe and white lower eyelid; marginal and a few lesser upperwing-coverts red; chin to breast bright red, surrounded by blackish, belly black, flanks and undertail-coverts striped buffish-grey and blackish; underwing-coverts pale greyish-white, with red marginal coverts; iris dark brown; bill bluish-ivory, culmen and tip blackish-brown; legs grey-brown to blackish. Differs from similar L. loyca in smaller size and shorter tail and bill. Female  is paler and more dusky than male, with buffy-white supercilium lacking red; underparts  pale grey, throat whitish, central abdomen tinged pale red, breast and flanks to vent streaked dusky. Juvenile is like female, but lacks reddish tinges and more extensively streaked below. Race <em>albipes</em> is very like nominate, but smaller and less red.

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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.

Meadows, grassland and agricultural land; in coastal deserts found at oases or in irrigated fields, sometimes in brackish marshes with Salicornia. Nominate race to 2500 m.

Apparently resident. Altitudinal movements probable in highlands.

Rather scant information. Diet presumably mostly arthropods, small vertebrates, seeds and some fruit. One stomach from Ecuador contained only seeds. Forages mostly on ground.

Male flight song  complex and variable, not very musical, ending in buzzy note , the whole lasting c. 3 seconds; song from perch much shorter, consisting of 3–4 descending notes followed by harsh buzz, “tee-tleptu-chzzz”. Call is a buzzing note.

Season Mar–May in Ecuador and Oct–Nov in Chile. Mating system not known. Male has short up-and down flight display accompanied by song. Nest made from dry grass and stems, with no obvious lining material, some substantial and often covered with dome, other nests reported as flimsy; built on ground, commonly using a slight depression, and placed under cover of small shrub or grass tuft. Clutch 4–5 eggs in Ecuador, 3–4 in Chile, buff, pinkish or creamy white, spotted, blotched and smeared with reddish-brown and lavender, sometimes with blackish scrawls, mean dimensions 25·4 × 18·5 mm; incubation period 14 days, nestling period c. 12 days; no further details. Parasitized by Molothrus bonariensis.

Not globally threatened. Reasonably common. Has recently expanded its distribution following conversion of woodlands into pasture.