Steppe lark
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Steppe lark |
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| Calendulauda africanoides | ||||||||||||
| ( Smith , 1836) |
The steppe lark ( Calendulauda africanoides , syn .: Mirafra africanoides ) is a species from the lark family. It is a species widespread in the south and east of the African continent. It is significantly smaller than a skylark , but has a slightly stronger beak. There are several subspecies.
The stock situation of the steppe lark is classified as harmless ( least concern ).
features
The steppe lark reaches a body length of 14 to 16 centimeters, of which 5.3 to 7.0 centimeters are on the tail. The beak has a length of 1.5 to 1.7 centimeters measured from the skull. It weighs between 20.5 and 27.5 grams. There is no noticeable gender dimorphism .
The plumage of the steppe lark is predominantly dull reddish on the upper side of the body with dark brown longitudinal stripes and light reddish borders on the individual feathers. The stripe above the eyes is whitish. The ear covers and cheeks are brown. The underside of the body, including the throat and chin, is white. In many individuals, the breast is washed over yellow and also has reddish-brown speckles and spots. The wings of the hand and arm are predominantly brown with reddish borders. The tail is dark brown, with the sixth (outermost) control feather on the outer vane having white to isabel-colored hems. The beak is pale horn-colored, the feet and legs are pale reddish, the iris is brown.
Possible confusion
There are several species of lark with which it can be confused in the distribution area of the steppe lark with sabotalerche , karoolerche and oranjelerche . It differs from the Sabotalerche in the sometimes very wide reddish fringes of the wings. On the other hand, it can hardly be distinguished from the Karrulerche and the Oranjelerche when observing the fields.
Subspecies and their distribution areas
There are six subspecies for the steppe lark:
- C. a. trapnelli - ( White, CMN , 1943) : Occurrence in southeastern Angola and southwestern Zambia.
- C. a. harei - ( Roberts , 1917) : Occurrence from the central region of Namibia to the southwest of Botswana and the northwest of South Africa.
- C. a. makarikari - (Roberts, 1932) : Occurrence from southwest Angola and northern Namibia to western Zambia and the north and central area of Botswana
- C. a. sarwensis - (Roberts, 1932) : Occurrence in the west of Botswana, in the east of Namibia and in the north of South Africa.
- C. a. vincenti - (Roberts, 1938) : Occurrence in the central area of Zimbabwe and in the south of Mozambique
- C. a. africanoides - ( Smith , 1836) : Found in the south of Namibia, in the south and east of Botswana, in the south-west of Zimbabwe and in the north of South Africa.
The steppe lark is a resident bird in its entire range .
habitat
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The steppe lark prefers sandy savannahs that are loosely covered with acacias. It also inhabits dry steppes. In the Kalahari it is mainly found in areas with red soils. This is where subspecies are found whose plumage is dominated by reddish tones. In the Etosha pan , on the other hand, gray-brown subspecies dominate the limestone soils there.
Way of life
The steppe lark eats anthropoids such as grasshoppers, senses, ants, termites and the seeds of grasses and goosefoot plants .
The male sings from stand waiting on bushes and trees as well as in the air. The singing flight is a flutter flight, whereby the lark reaches a height of 20 to 30 meters above the ground. The singing flight of several minutes ends with a dive back to earth.
Like all larks, the steppe lark is a ground breeder. The top of the nest is vaulted with grass. The clutch consists of two to three eggs, clutches with four eggs are rare. The incubation period is 12 days. The young birds stay in the nest for 10 to 14 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 .
Web links
Single receipts
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 94.
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 90.
- ^ IOC World Bird List 6.4 . In: IOC World Bird List Datasets . September. doi : 10.14344 / ioc.ml.6.4 .
- ^ Pätzold: Compendium of Larks . P. 93.