Lark Bunting

Status Rare vagrant. It was first seen by Harrison F. Lewis and Willett J. Mills at Brier Island on 13 September 1955. Since then there have been 10 occurrences of 14 individuals. Spring males have occurred on Brier Island on 27 May 1967 (collected, W. Lent); at Granite Village, Shelburne County, on 7 May 1968 (Mrs. M. Allen); and on Brier Island on 25 May 1980 (R. Denton, A.R. Glavin). Fall birds have been seen at Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, on 28 October 1958 (two birds); on Cape Sable Island on 12 October 1959; on 4 September 1967 at Conrad Beach, Halifax County; and photographed at Seal Island on 4-5 September (two birds) and 1-3 October 1977. A late individual was identified at Conrad Beach by John Comer on 29 December 1959, and Harrison F. Lewis reported that three attended the feeding station of the Donald Robertsons at Shelburne in early January 1968.

Remarks This prairie bird is known as a rare wanderer to the east coast, from Newfoundland south. Spring males, almost solid black with large, white wing patches, could not be confused with any other bird that comes to Nova Scotia. Autumn birds are streaked brownish gray, like many of our sparrows, but their large size and stocky build (like a Bobolink) and whitish or buffy wing patches are helpful marks.