Karool Lark
| Karool Lark | ||||||||||||
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Karool Lark |
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| Calendulauda albescens | ||||||||||||
| ( Lafresnaye , 1839) |
The Karoolerche ( Calendulauda albescens ), also called Karrulerche , is a species from the lark family. It is a species that is widespread in the south of the African continent. It is about the size of a skylark , but has a significantly longer beak. There are several subspecies. The name is derived from the Karoo , a semi-desert landscape in the high plains of South Africa , north of the Great Rim Plain and in southern Namibia .
The stock situation of the Karoolerche is classified as safe ( least concern ). Together with the Orange Lark , the Barlow Lark and the Red Dune Lark, it forms a super species .
features
The Karoolerche reaches a body length of about 17 centimeters, of which 5.7 to 6.6 centimeters are on the tail. The beak measures between 1.7 and 1.91 centimeters measured from the skull. Karoolerchen weigh between 27 and 35 grams. There is no noticeable gender dimorphism .
The head is gray-brown, the individual feathers are lined with yellow-brown. The rein, the over-eye stripe, the eye ring and a line below the eye are white. A dark line runs from the base of the lower mandible to the brown ear covers and cheeks. The sides of the neck are brown, the front neck is whitish with darker dashes. The back is gray-brown, the individual feathers have black-brown centers. The upper tail-coverts are reddish brown. The arm and hand wings are dark brown with narrow yellow-brown hems. The tail feathers are black-brown, the middle pair of control feathers is broadly lined with gray-brown. The sixth (outermost control spring) is very narrow and brightly lined.
The chin, throat and chest as well as the rest of the underside of the body are whitish. The fracture and the front belly are dashed blackish. The beak is dark horn-colored, the iris is brown.
Possible confusion
The Karoolerche is similar to the Oranjelerche. However, this is somewhat larger, has a thicker beak and is red-brown on the upper side of the body with dark-brown wings.
Distribution area and habitat
The Karoolark occurs in the extreme south of Namibia and in the South African Republic. It inhabits deserts and semi-deserts, which has a population of low bushes and a stony or sandy soil. It is also found in wheat fields and in coastal dunes that are sparsely covered with grass.
Distribution area of the individual subspecies
There are four subspecies:
- C. a. codea - ( Smith , A, 1843) : Originally described as a separate species in the genus Alauda , this subspecies occurs on the west coast of South Africa.
- C. a. albescens - ( Lafresnaye , 1839) : Occurrence in the southwest of the South African Republic
- C. a. guttata - (Lafresnaye, 1839) : Originally described as a separate species in the genus Alauda , this subspecies occurs in the west of the South African Republic.
- C. a. karruensis - Roberts , 1936 : Occurrence in the south of the South African Republic.
Way of life
The Karoolerche eats a wide range of insects, including caterpillars, ants , constant-winged birds , spiders, beetles and termites. It also eats seeds, grass seeds and the seeds of annual herbs play a special role. It also eats leaves, flowers and the fruits of various types of wolfberry . Nestlings are mainly fed with insects. Like all larks, the Karoolerche is diurnal. It becomes active around 20 minutes after sunrise. When looking for food, she walks from tussock to tuft of grass in a conspicuously crouched position, looking for insects there. During the hottest part of the day, she seeks shelter in the shade of tufts of grass or clods of earth.
Like many larks, the male Karoolerche shows a singing flight. The male climbs three to 20 meters in height with slow, far-reaching wing beats and remains there for a while, shaking and singing, before sliding down to the ground again.
Like all larks, the Karoolerche is a ground breeder. The breeding season falls from July to November. In years with little rainfall, Karoolarks occasionally do not brood at all. The clutch comprises two to three eggs. The individual egg has a fresh full weight of 2.58 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
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 141.
- ↑ a b Handbook of the Birds of the World zur Karoolerche , accessed on March 26, 2017
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 138.
- ^ IOC World Bird List 6.4 . In: IOC World Bird List Datasets . September. doi : 10.14344 / ioc.ml.6.4 .
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 140.