White-breasted Lark
| White-breasted Lark | ||||||||||||
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White-breasted Lark, Kenya |
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| Calendulauda poecilosterna | ||||||||||||
| ( Reichenow , 1879) |
The white- breasted lark ( Calendulauda poecilosterna ) is a large species in the lark family. Its size is roughly the same as that of a skylark , but is more slender and has a relatively longer tail. In its habitus it is reminiscent of a pipit . The distribution area of the white-breasted lark is in eastern Africa. Several subspecies are distinguished. The white-breasted lark has long been classified as a species of the genus Mirafra and, together with the rusty lark and the ogaden lark, was considered to be super species . Due to its genetic data, however, it is now placed in the genus Calendulauda . It is debatable whether a subdivision of subspecies is necessary. Rudolf Pätzold differentiates between several subspecies, but the Handbook of Birds of the World does not.
The IUCN classifies the white-breasted lark as not endangered ( least concern ).
features
The pale-breasted lark reaches a body length of about 15 to 16 centimeters, of which 6.4 to 7.9 centimeters are on the tail. The beak measures 1.4 to 1.65 centimeters measured from the beak. White-breasted larks weigh around 24 to 33 grams. There is no gender dimorphism. Basically, the representatives in the south of the distribution area are darker and more orange-brown pinnate.
The pale-breasted lark has gray plumage on the forehead and crown. The neck and coat are also gray, but have a more pronounced tinge of brown. The rest of the top of the body is reddish brown. The upper tail-coverts are almost monochrome gray, but the individual feathers have light-colored tips.
The sides of the neck and the face are orange-brown, an inconspicuous stripe above the eyes is a bit lighter. A dark streak runs from the base of the beak over the eye. The feathers on the chin, throat and chest are whitish with orange-brown feather centers, which lead to a faded-looking stripe, especially on the chest. The belly is whitish, the flanks have a more pronounced orange-brown tone. The under tail-coverts are dirty white. The wings of the hand and arm as well as the wing covers are brown with light colored edges and tips. The control springs are grayish brown. One of the important distinguishing features to other species of lark is that there is no white component in the sixth (outermost) control feather.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the white-breasted lark stretches from northeast Uganda, southeast Sudan and southwest Ethiopia via Kenya to Tanzania. You can still find it at the foot of Kilimanjaro . Further to the east, the Tsavo East National Park belongs to the distribution area. In Kenya the white-breasted lark occurs only below 1,800 meters above sea level. It is a resident bird in the entire distribution area that defends a territory all year round. It can be found either solitary or in pairs.
The habitat of the pale-breasted lark are dry thorn-bush savannas and acacia groves. It is particularly common on sandy soils that are only sparsely covered with grass.
Way of life
The white-breasted lark calls a locust-like "twiiet". The male rarely shows a singing flight as is typical for most species of lark, but almost always carries his song from the highest branch of a tree or bush.
The food consists mainly of insects that are picked from the ground. Termites play a particularly important role in meeting food requirements.
The breeding season of the white-breasted lark depends on the rainy season and falls accordingly in the period December to January and March to June. Like all larks, the white-breasted lark is a ground breeder. The nest is a bowl made of dry grass, which is usually in a shallow hollow under small bushes or on tree trunks. The clutch consists of two eggs.
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 .
Web links
- Singing of the white-breasted lark on Xeno-Canto
- Calendulauda poecilosterna in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Accessed March 8, 2017th
Single receipts
- ↑ a b c d e f g poecilosterna Handbook of the Birds of the World zur Fahlbrustlerche , accessed on March 8, 2017
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 117.
- ↑ Calendulauda poecilosterna in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Accessed March 8, 2017th
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 115.
- ↑ a b c Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 116.