Sparrow Lark
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Sparrow Lark, South Africa |
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| Mirafra passerina | ||||||||||||
| Gyldenstolpe , 1926 |
The sparrow lark ( Mirafra passerina ) is a species from the lark family. Their distribution area is in Africa. No subspecies are distinguished.
The IUCN currently classifies the stock situation of the Sparrow Lark as harmless ( least concern ).
features
The sparrow lark is a small, stocky lark that is very similar to the mock lark, but has a longer tail compared to it. The body length of the sparrow lark is between 14 and 15 centimeters, of which 5.3 to 5.9 centimeters are on the tail. The beak has a length of 1.2 to 1.3 centimeters. It weighs between 21 and 27 grams.
In the sparrow lark, an over-eye stripe runs from the eye to the neck. The top of the body is beige to reddish brown. The chin and throat are white. The breast is russet with dark brown dots and spots. The rest of the underside of the body is white. The wings are black-brown with a striking reddish border. The tail is black-brown except for the outermost control feather, which is white. The upper bill is dark horn-colored, the lower bill is flesh-colored. The feet and legs are gray to reddish. The iris is hazel brown.
singing
The Sparrow Lark usually sings its song while singing. This is very short and the lark does not rise higher than about 15 meters. She also lets her singing from the top of a tree or bush.
The monotonous phrases of the song for the sparrow lark led to the English name "Monotonous Lark" - the five-syllable song is sometimes onomatopoeic with the English words "for syrup is sweet". The singing can also be heard on moonlit nights.
Distribution area and habitat
The sparrow lark occurs in southwestern Africa and is a stationary , line and sometimes even migratory bird .
The sparrow lark's distribution area includes the southwest of Angola, the northeast of Namibia, Botswana, western Zimbabwe, the north of the South African Republic and southwestern Mozambique. It can be found in the Kruger National Park , among other places.
The habitat are savannahs in lowlands that have bare or stony soils with little grass cover and only a few trees. It is also found in open grasslands.
Way of life
The sparrow lark eats seeds and insects. The breeding season in Zimbabwe falls from October to January. In the northeast of the Republic of South Africa it breeds from January to April, in Namibia from December to March. There, periods of rain are usually the trigger for the start of breeding.
Like all larks, the sparrow lark is a ground breeder. The bowl-shaped nest stands between tufts of grass, the grasses being pulled over the nest like a dome by the larks. The clutch consists of two to four eggs. These are matt white with brown and gray speckles.
literature
- Rudolf Pätzold: The larks of the world . Westarp Sciences, Magdeburg 1994, ISBN 3-89432-422-8 .
Web links
- Mirafra passerina inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.1. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017. </
Single receipts
- ↑ Pätzold: The larks of the world . P. 48.
- ↑ Mirafra passerina in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.1. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ↑ Pätzold: The larks of the world . P. 46.
- ↑ a b c Pätzold: The larks of the world . P. 47.