Red-necked lark
| Red-necked lark | ||||||||||||
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Red-necked Lark, Kenya |
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| Mirafra africana | ||||||||||||
| Smith , 1836 |
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The red-necked lark ( Mirafra africana ) is a species from the lark family. Its range is in Africa, where it is a widespread and common species. It is a compactly built, long-legged lark, which is reminiscent of a crested lark in its habitus . There are more than twenty different subspecies in the large distribution area.
The stock situation of the red-necked lark is classified as safe ( least concern ).
features
The red-necked lark reaches a body length of 17.5 to 18 centimeters, of which 5.8 to 7.1 centimeters are on the tail. The beak has a length of 1.8 to 2.3 centimeters. It weighs between 27 and 32 grams. There is no gender dimorphism .
The individual subspecies of the red-necked lark differ somewhat in their plumage. Basically it is striped reddish brown on the top of the body. The underside is whitish to yellow-brown, the breast is a little reddish and has blackish dots. The crown feathers are somewhat elongated and form a short hood, which gives the head a pointed appearance. Noticeable is the very clearly pronounced light stripe above the eyes. The wings and tail are yellow-brown to reddish brown. The outermost control spring has a lighter outside flag. The beak is dark horn-colored and has a reddish base in a large number of subspecies. The iris is brown.
Young birds differ from adults in that the feather fringes are a little more pronounced and the birds appear somewhat scaled on the top of their bodies. The underside of the body is less spotted or streaked than in the adult birds.
singing
The typical calls of the red-necked lark include two to four elongated whistling tones, which they recite from the raised hide. These sound at intervals of one to two seconds. During the singing show flight , the red-necked lark produces rattling instrument sounds with its wings . As is typical for many larks, it also mimics the voices of other bird species with its song.
Distribution area and habitat
The red-necked lark is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa . However, their occurrence is partly island-like.
The range includes the north-west of Somalia , the west of Sudan , Chad , Niger and Nigeria , the north-west of Cameroon , the south-east of Guinea , Kenya , Uganda , Rwanda , the north and east of Tanzania , Malawi , the west of Mozambique , Zimbabwe , Zambia , Angola , the southwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Republic of the Congo , Namibia and Botswana . In South Africa it is only missing in the west.
Their habitat are open landscapes such as grasslands, sparse forest land, acacia bush steppe, fallow land and areas with little vegetation in cultivated land. It occurs both in the lowlands and in the mountainous region.
Reproduction
The breeding season of the red-necked lark depends on the respective distribution area. In the south of Africa it mainly breeds between November and January.
The nest is built from dry grass in a shallow hollow. It is laid out with somewhat finer plant material. Most of the nests are covered with grass.
The clutch consists of two to four eggs. These are matt white and have a dense pattern of gray and brown spots and speckles. Both parent birds are involved in the rearing of the young birds. The fledglings fledge at around 12 days of age.
food
The red-necked lark eats beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, spiders and millipedes as well as grass seeds. Insects are also caught in flight.
Subspecies
There are 23 different subspecies:
- M. a. henrici Bates , 1930 : Guinea to the southwest of the Ivory Coast
- M. a. batesi Bannerman , 1923 : Nigeria to the southeast of Niger and the west of Chad
- M. a. stresemanni Bannerman, 1923 : North and Central Cameroon
- M. a. bamendae Serle , 1959 : West Cameroon
- M. a. kurrae Lynes , 1923 : West Sudan
- M. a. tropicalis Hartert , 1900 : From the east of Uganda to the west of Kenya to the north-west of Tanzania
- M. a. sharpii Elliot, DG , 1897 Northwest Somalia
- M. a. ruwenzoria Kinnear , 1921 : Democratic Republic of the Congo to southwest Uganda.
- M. a. athi Hartert, 1900 : Central Kenya to Northeast Tanzania
- M. a. harterti Neumann , 1908 Southern Kenya
- M. a. malbranti Chapin , 1946 : Gabon to the middle of Angola and the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- M. a. Chapini Grant, CHB & Mackworth-Praed , 1939 : Southeast Democratic Republic Account and Northwest Zambia
- M. a. occidentalis ( Hartlaub , 1857) : West Angola
- M. a. kabalii White, CMN , 1943 : Northeast Angola and Northwest Zambia
- M. a. gomesi White, CMN, 1944 : Eastern Angola and Western Zambia
- M. a. grisescens Sharpe , 1902 : West Zambia, North Botswana and Northwest Zimbabwe
- M. a. pallida Sharpe, 1902 : Southwest Angola and Northwest Namibia
- M. a. ghansiensis ( Roberts , 1932) : Eastern Namibia and Western Botswana
- M. a. nigrescens Reichenow , 1900 : Northeast Zambia and South Tanzania
- M. a. isolata Clancey , 1956 : southeast of Malawi
- M. a. Nyikae Benson , 1939 : East Zambia, North Malawi and Southwest Tanzania
- M. a. transvaalensis Hartert, 1900 : From Tanzania to the north of the Republic of South Africa
- M. a. Africana Smith , 1836 : Southeast Republic of South Africa
literature
- Rudolf Pätzold: The larks of the world . Westarp Sciences, Magdeburg 1994, ISBN 3-89432-422-8 .
Web links
Single receipts
- ↑ a b Pätzold: The larks of the world . P.56.
- ↑ a b Pätzold: The larks of the world . P. 55.
- ^ IOC World Bird List 6.4 . In: IOC World Bird List Datasets . September. doi : 10.14344 / ioc.ml.6.4 .
- ↑ Mirafra sharpii - Avibase .