Marsh Lark
| Marsh Lark | ||||||||||||
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Marsh Lark |
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| Melanocorypha maxima | ||||||||||||
| Blyth , 1867 |
The Marsh Lark ( Melanocorypha maxima ), also known as the Giant Marsh Lark , is a large, light-colored species from the lark family. Together with the sandpiper lark , it is the largest species in this family. Its distribution area is Central Asia. There are two subspecies.
The IUCN classifies the population situation of the marsh lark as "not at risk " ( least concern ).
features
The swamp lark reaches a body length of 19 to 23 centimeters, of which 8.3 to 9.3 centimeters are on the tail. The beak is measured from the forehead feathers 2.1 to 2.4 centimeters long. There is no noticeable gender dimorphism .
The top of the body is light brown, with the head and rump having a slightly reddish tone. The nape of the neck is grayish white with very fine reddish dashes. The head is very light, the whitish eye ring and the stripe above the eyes are hardly noticeable. The underside of the body is whitish and almost without any other colored markings. Only the flanks and the belly appear slightly brownish. The lower legs are remarkably densely feathered. On the goiter sides there are small black spots that lie close together. The wings are dark brown, the arm wings also have white tips. The middle pair of control springs is dark brown, the second to fourth control springs have white tips, the fifth control spring has a predominantly white outer flag and the sixth and outermost control spring is white except for a wedge-shaped spot. The beak is light horn-colored with a blackish tip, the iris is brown.
Possible confusion
In its area of distribution, the marsh lark is unmistakable due to its size, its crop band and the amount of white in the wings and the control feathers. However, it has a similarity to the calender lark . This species of lark, which is also found in southern Europe, does not occur further to the east than Turkmenistan . The white-winged lark , which can be found in the southwest of Mongolia, has a shorter beak.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the marsh lark is roughly between the 27th and 50th degrees of latitude north and the 76th to 108th degree of longitude east. The distribution area includes the east of Afghanistan, Kashmir, Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim, the north of Bhutan and parts of the central area and west of China.
The Marsh Lark is a character bird of the Tibetan plateau. It populates here damp meadows, swampy depressions and moors. Its altitude distribution reaches 3600 meters in Sikkim and 4600 meters in Ladakh .
Way of life
According to Rudolf Pätzold, the marsh lark is the only species of lark that also runs through shallow water.
During the breeding season, it defends its territory very aggressively. It also attacks other bird species such as redshank , plovers and seagulls when it is defending its territory . She defends her territory against sheep, yaks and humans by attacking in a dive.
Like all larks, the marsh lark is a ground breeder. It builds its nest on small bulrushes of grass in the middle of moors, but also on small elevations on flat, soaked bank meadows. The nest is built by the female alone, while both parent birds look after the young birds. The clutch comprises two to three eggs. They are the largest eggs in the lark family. They are as large as the eggs of a song thrush and have a fresh full weight of 5.7 grams. They have a pale yellow to brownish base color and are densely covered with small dark spots. Two broods are raised per year.
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 .
