Thick Schnabellerche
| Thick Schnabellerche | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dickschnabellerche, South Africa |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Galerida magnirostris | ||||||||||||
| ( Stephens , 1826) |
The Dickschnabellerche ( Galerida magnirostris ) is a species from the lark family. Their distribution area is in the south of Africa.
The IUCN classifies the stock situation of the thick Schnabellerche as harmless ( least concern ).
features
The Dickschnabellerche reaches a body length of about 18 centimeters, of which 5.8 to 6.1 centimeters are accounted for by the tail. The beak length measured from the skull is 1.87 to 2.35 centimeters. It weighs up to 48 grams. There is no noticeable gender dimorphism .
The thick beak has the strongest beak within the genus Galerida . The root-side half of the lower mandible is clearly yellow-brown, while the front part of the beak is clearly darker. The nostrils are covered with small feathers. The hood feathers are significantly shorter and wider than in the other species of the genus.
The upper side of the body is brownish with blackish dots, which are least pronounced on the rear neck and rump. The upper tail-coverts are gray-brown, the individual feathers have a dark center. The throat has delicate whitish dashes, and the stripe above the eyes is also whitish. The chin and throat are whitish, in some individuals slightly mottled dark. In many individuals, the whitish breast has a yellowish or yellowish-reddish tone and has dark dashes. The upper underside of the body is whitish to yellowish. The wings of the hand and arm are dark brown, the outer flags are each lined with light and the tips of the feathers are also lightened. The tail is dark brown, the outer vane of the sixth (outermost) control feather is narrowly lined with yellowish-brown to whitish.
Possible confusion
In the area of distribution of the thick Schnabellerche there is also the long Schnabellerche , which resembles the Dickschnabellerche in size and plumage. The thick beak, however, has the much stronger beak, which has a yellowish beak base. Excited thick-billed plates also have somewhat elongated hood feathers, which, unlike the long-billed bellies, they can set up to form a small hood.
Distribution area and habitat
The Dickschnabellerche occurs in southwestern Namibia as well as in southern and southwestern South Africa. It is a resident bird in the entire distribution area.
Their habitat are steppes and semi-deserts from the plains to the mountains. It also occurs on cultivated steppes.
Way of life
The diet of the thick-beaked lark consists mainly of insects. It also eats seeds and plant shoots. Nestlings are mainly fed beetle larvae.
The singing is performed from the ground or during the singing flight. As a stand guard during the ground chant, the thick-beaked bell typically chooses branches, fences, stones or mounds of earth. When singing, the male climbs 15 to 20 meters, then draws circles while singing and then drops down again with closed wings.
Like all species of lark, the Dickschnabellerche is a ground breeder. She builds a typical lark nest under the protection of tufts of grass or bushes. The nest is laid out with wool, feathers and fine plant material. The clutch comprises two to four eggs. Both parent birds are involved in feeding the young birds.
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 .
