Finch lark
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Finch Lark ( Spizocorys fringillaris ) |
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| Spizocorys fringillaris | ||||||||||||
| ( Sundevall , 1850) |
The finch lark ( Spizocorys fringillaris ) is a small species of the lark family with a finch-like beak. It is a compact lark with a noticeable dash on the top of the body. Their comparatively small distribution area is in the south of Africa. No subspecies are distinguished.
The IUCN classifies the species as endangered ( endangered one).
The species is occasionally placed in its own genus Botha , but genetic studies have confirmed the relationship to the other species in the genus Spizocorys .
features
The finch lark reaches a body length of about 12 to 15 centimeters, of which between 3.8 and 4.2 centimeters are on the tail. The beak measures between 1.2 and 1.47 centimeters from the skull. They weigh between 15.7 and 21 grams. There is no gender dimorphism .
The finch lark is brown on the forehead, crown, neck, back neck, coat and back. The plumage looks strongly dashed due to the dark feathers. The sides of the neck are yellowish brown, the front neck is light brown. The upper tail covers are brown without any other markings.
The eye stripe is dark brown, the outer eye stripe is light yellow-brown to whitish. The eye ring is whitish. There is a small white spot in front of the light brown ear covers. The ear covers and the light brown cheeks are blackish dashed. The chin and throat are dirty white. The chest, the front belly and the flanks are brown to yellow-brown and have strong blackish-brown lines. The rest of the abdomen and the underside of the tail are light brown to white.
The wings of the hand and arm are dark brown with light colored edges. The arm wings also have bright tips. The tail feathers are predominantly dark brown, the sixth (outermost) rudder feather has a wide white border on the outer vane, the fifth rudder feather is only lined with white on the outer vane side, while the tip is dark.
The beak is pink and darkens towards the tip. The iris is brown.
Possible confusion
The finch lark is very similar to the red beak , which also belongs to the genus Spizocorys . This also has a reddish beak, but the red beak lacks the darker tip. The Red Schnabellerche also has no white portion on the control feathers and a uniformly light brown underside of the body.
Distribution area and habitat
The finch lark is an endemic resident bird of the South African Republic. It occurs only in the south of Mpumalanga and in the east of the Freestate province . The finch lark is a rare species in the entire range, the IUCN estimates the global population at only 1,500 to 5,000 sexually mature individuals. The distribution area is a maximum of 43,000 square kilometers. The populations are declining due to habitat loss and the IUCN believes it is possible that parts of their former range may have become extinct.
The finch lark only occurs on heavily grazed grassland on plateaus. These grasslands typically have black clay soils. She avoids valleys with tall grass, sown grasslands and bare stony habitats.
Way of life
The finch lark eats insects and only to a small extent seeds. Nestlings are fed exclusively with insects by the parent birds.
The breeding season falls from November to December. Like all larks, the finch lark is a ground breeder. The nest is a typical lark's nest that is built between tufts of grass. The inner bowl is occasionally lined with sheep's wool. In suitable habitats, the individual nests are occasionally no more than 50 meters apart. The clutch consists of two to three eggs. The fresh full weight is 2.08 grams.
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
Single receipts
- ↑ a b c d Handbook of the Birds of the World zur Finkenlerche , accessed on March 12, 2017
- ↑ a b Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 297.
- ↑ a b Spizocorys fringillaris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Accessed March 12, 2017th
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 295.
- ↑ a b c Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 296.