Mocking lark
| Mocking lark | ||||||||||||
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Depiction of a mock lark from 1838 |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Mirafra cheniana | ||||||||||||
| Smith , 1843 |
The ridicule lark ( Mirafra cheniana ) is a kind from the family of larks. Their distribution area is in southeastern Africa. No subspecies are distinguished. It is one of the species of lark that mimics the voices of numerous other bird species with its song.
The IUCN currently classifies the mock lark's population as near threatened .
features
The mock lark is significantly smaller and shorter-tailed than a skylark . The body length is between 12 and 14 centimeters, of which 4.3 to 5 centimeters are on the tail. The beak has a length of 1.2 to 1.4 centimeters.
In the mock lark, the over-eye stripe runs from the base of the beak far into 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 light brownish. The wings are black-brown. The wings of the hand have rust-brown hems. The tail is black-brown, with the outer flags of the middle pair of control feathers being white. The beak is dark horn-colored, the feet and legs are flesh-colored. The iris is brown.
Possible confusion
The mock lark can hardly be distinguished from the sparrow lark when observed in the wild . However, the song of the two species is different and the underside of the body of the mock lark is light brownish while that of the sparrow lark is whitish.
singing
The song of the lark is composed of the imitations of other bird species, which are melodically connected to each other. The song of 57 other bird species from 20 different genera has so far been identified. The singing is performed in the Sing-Schaufflug or by people from a seat on stones and branches.
During the singing show flight, the male rises at least 20 meters in height with fluffed plumage and rapid wing flaps and then draws circles about 50 meters in diameter. She sings for up to 25 minutes and then suddenly drops back down to the floor.
Distribution area and habitat
The mock lark breeds south of the 20 ° south latitude. Breeding areas are in the east of the Republic of South Africa , in KwaZulu-Natal and north of Johannesburg and Pretoria . It is also found in Zimbabwe .
The habitat is open grassland and agricultural land that is tilled with dwarf millet . In KwaZulu-Natal, the mock lark occurs at altitudes between 550 and 1750 meters, which have an annual rainfall of between 400 and 800 mm.
Way of life
The mock lark eats seeds and arthropods. It breeds in eastern South Africa from October to November, in Zimbabwe from September to January.
Like all larks, the mock lark is a ground breeder. The bowl-shaped nest is built in a hollow in the ground, which is usually overgrown by grass. The clutch consists of three to four eggs. These are white to light yellowish and have a dense pattern of brown and gray-brown spots.
literature
- Rudolf Pätzold: The larks of the world . Westarp Sciences, Magdeburg 1994, ISBN 3-89432-422-8 .
Web links
- Mirafra cheniana inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.1. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- Song of the mock lark on Reno-Canto
Single receipts
- ↑ Pätzold: The larks of the world . P. 45.
- ↑ Mirafra cheniana in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.1. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ↑ a b Pätzold: The larks of the world . P. 43.
- ↑ a b Pätzold: The larks of the world . P. 44.