Obbial lark
| Obbial lark | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Spizocorys obbiensis | ||||||||||||
| Whiterby , 1905 |
The obbial lark ( Spizocorys obbiensis ) is a small, short-tailed species from the lark family. It is about 20 percent smaller than a skylark , but has a relatively stronger beak compared to it. The range of the obbialerche is in the east of Africa. No subspecies are distinguished. The Obbialerche is named after the Somali town of Obbia , near which the type specimen was caught.
The IUCN does not provide any information on the population situation, as insufficient data are available for this species, whose range is exclusively in a region that has been the site of armed conflict for years.
features
The obbial lark reaches a body length of about 13 centimeters, of which between 3.57 and 3.9 centimeters are accounted for by the tail. The beak measures between 1.35 and 1.55 centimeters from the skull. There is no gender dimorphism .
The obbial lark has a gray-brown to yellow-brown forehead and an equally colored crown. The neck and the back of the neck appear lighter due to the lighter hems of each feather. The sides of the neck are gray-brown. The coat and back are yellow-brown. The upper tail ceilings are a little lighter.
The eye is surrounded by a white eye ring, over which there is a noticeable, light over-eye stripe. A dark line runs under the eye. The ear covers and cheeks are light brown.
The chin and throat are white, the chest, upper abdomen and flanks are white with a yellowish tinge and noticeable dark dashes. The rest of the underside of the body is white. The arms are brown. The tail is dark brown. The outermost control springs have a white outer edge, while the middle control spring pair is lined with yellow-brown. The iris is brown, the beak is brownish pink.
Possible confusion
In the range of the obbial lark there is no other lark species with which the obbial lark could be confused.
Distribution area and habitat
The obbial lark is a habitat specialist that only occurs in a strip 2.5 kilometers wide and 570 kilometers long along the Somali coast. The distribution area is between Hobyo in the north and Mogadishu in the south. The habitat of this species of lark are sandy dunes that are sparsely covered with bushes.
Way of life
The habits of the obbial lark have not yet been conclusively investigated. For example, no details are known about the males' courtship flights, nor has it been examined more closely what the diet of the obbial lark is composed of.
The breeding season of the obbial lark falls from May to July. Like all larks, the obbial lark is a ground breeder. She builds the open, bowl-shaped nest from dry grass and small roots and lays it out with woolly seeds. The clutch consists of two to three 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
- Spizocorys obbiensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Accessed February 25 2017th
Single receipts
- ↑ a b Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 292.
- ↑ Spizocorys obbiensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Accessed February 25 2017th
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 302.