Black-eared Lark
| Black-eared Lark | ||||||||||||
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Black-eared Lark, male, South Africa |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Eremopterix australis | ||||||||||||
| ( Smith , 1836) |
The black- cheeked lark ( Eremopterix australis ) is a species from the lark family. It is a small black-brown lark that resembles a finch in its habitus . It is compared with the Feldlerche smaller by about 2.5 to 3 centimeters. Their distribution area is in the southwest of Africa. No subspecies are distinguished.
The IUCN classifies the black-cheeked lark as harmless ( least concern ).
features
The black-cheeked lark reaches a body length of about 12 to 13 centimeters, of which 4.1 to 4.5 centimeters are on the tail. The beak measures 1.0 to 1.2 centimeters from the skull. Black-faced larks weigh between 12 and 15.5 grams. There is a pronounced gender dimorphism .
In the male, the head and the underside of the body are predominantly black. The front parting is soot-brown. The neck, the back of the neck and the coat are dark brown. In comparison, the back is a little lighter and from reddish brown to dark maroon in color. The hand and arm wings are dark brown to blackish. The wing covers have partly light brown to reddish-brown hems. The tail plumage is blackish brown, the middle pair of control feathers is slightly lighter and has light colored edges. The bill is light horn-colored, the iris is orange-red to reddish-brown.
The female has a dull red-brownish head with dark brown dots. The sides of the neck and the front neck are light brown, the cheeks and the ear covers a little darker. The stripe above the eyes is whitish, but, like the light circles under the eyes, not very noticeable. The rest of the top of the body is brown to yellowish-red-brown.
The chin and throat are whitish and in some individuals can also be dashed dark brown. The breast is speckled brownish to blackish on a light gray-brown background. The rest of the underside is light brown to light gray brown. The dark brown hand wings are lined with narrow yellowish brown. The arm wings are also dark brown, but without hems. The tail plumage is dark brown. The middle pair of control springs is a bit lighter and has wide, light brown hems. The sixth (outermost) control spring has a yellow-brown outer flag. The outer vane of the remaining control springs is lined with yellow-brown.
Fledglings resemble the adult female.
Distribution area and habitat
The black-tailed lark only occurs in southern Africa. The distribution area includes the south of Namibia, the south of Botswana and the South African Republic. Here it occurs in the Cape Province and occasionally in the Free State Province .
The habitat of the black-tailed lark is sandy grassland, as can be found in the Kalahari and the Sandveld . She prefers areas that have a population of Rhigozum . The black-tailed lark is also found in semi-deserts, in regions with red sandstone soils and on agricultural areas if these have a rainfall of 120 to 250 millimeters.
Way of life
The black-cheeked lark mainly eats grass seeds, but also wolfberry fruits . Insects such as beetles and termites also play a role.
The black-cheeked lark is an opportunistic breeder that usually breeds after the rainy season. The main breeding season falls from July to November. Like all larks, the black-cheeked lark is a ground breeder. The nest is typical of larks and is built in a hollow in the ground. In the Kalahari , the nests are predominantly at the base of Rhigozum trichotomum bushes. The rest are erected under the protection of tufts of grass or other perennials. The nest is built by the female alone. The clutch usually comprises two, more rarely three eggs. A single egg has a fresh full weight of 1.58 grams. Both parent birds are involved in the brood. The incubation period is about 12 days. The nestlings leave the nest after seven to 10 days.
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 .
