Beesleylerche
| Beesleylerche | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chersomanes beesleyi | ||||||||||||
| Benson , 1966 |
The Beesleylerche ( Chersomanes beesleyi ) is a long- legged and short-tailed small species from the lark family that is between 15 and 20 percent smaller than a skylark. Their distribution area is the northwest of Tanzania. The Beesleylerche was originally classified as a subspecies of the Zirplerche .
features
As with many species of larks, the Beesleylerche has no noticeable sexual dimorphism . The upright posture that this species of lark assumes is striking.
The crown, the nape and the back of the neck are light reddish brown with a blackish vertical line, which is finest in the nape. The individual feathers are lined with whitish. The light brown sides of the neck have dark brown speckles, the front neck is whitish with brown speckles. The stripe above the eyes is whitish, a line of the same color runs from the beak to the lower edge of the eye. The ear covers are a little lighter than the rest of the head. The coat is brown with a reddish tinge and dark vertical lines. The individual back feathers have whitish edges and black-brownish centers. The upper tail-coverts are reddish brown and almost without any dashed lines.
The chin and throat are white, the rest of the underside of the body is light yellowish-red-brown. The individual individuals have a variable number of dark dashes, which, however, can also be completely absent in individual birds. The wings of the hand and arm are brown with narrow yellow-brown edges. The tail plumage is dark brown, with the exception of the middle pair of tail feathers, all tail feathers have white tips.
The beak is dark horn-colored, the iris is brown. The back toe has an elongated claw.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the Beesleylerche is the northwest of Tanzania.
The habitat are grass steppes, which are only very isolated with bushes and on which trees are completely missing. It also occurs on overgrazed areas and in sparse semi-deserts with bushes as well as on the edge of desert areas.
Way of life
The Beesleylerche eats insects and seeds. Like all larks, the Beesleylerche is a ground breeder. The nest is not vaulted and is usually sheltered by a stone, a mound or a tuft of grass. The eggs are whitish with brownish, yellowish and reddish spots. The incubation period is about 12 days. The nestlings are fed by both parent birds and leave the nest when they are 10 days old. You are then still unable to fly.
literature
- Rudolf Pätzold : The larks of the world . Westarp Sciences, Magdeburg 1994, ISBN 3-89432-422-8 .
- Rudolf Pätzold: Compendium of Larks. All the larks on earth. Jan-Schimkat-Medienpublikation, Dresden 2003, ISBN 3-00-011219-7 .
