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Crested lark

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Crested lark
AtSultanpur National Park,India
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Galerida
Species:
G. cristata
Binomial name
Galerida cristata
Subspecies

See text

Approximate range in green shown on a map of the world
Approximate range ofG. cristata
Breeding
Resident
Synonyms
  • Alauda cristataLinnaeus, 1758

Thecrested lark(Galerida cristata) is a species oflarkwidespread acrossEurasiaandnorthern Africa.It is anon-migratorybird, but can occasionally be found as avagrantinGreat Britain.

Crested Lark in South Hebron

Taxonomy and systematics

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The crested lark was one of the many species originally described byCarl Linnaeusin his landmark 175810th edition ofSystema Naturae.It was classified in the genusAlaudauntil German naturalistFriedrich Boieplaced it in the new genusGaleridain 1821.Colin Harrisonrecommended lumping members ofGaleridaandLullulaback intoAlaudain 1865 due to a lack of defining characteristics.[2]The current scientific name is derived fromLatin.Galeridawas the name for a lark with a crest, fromgalerum,"cap", andcristatameans "crested".[3]Alban Guillaumet and colleagues noted the distinctiveness of populations from theMaghreb- birds in the dryer parts ofMoroccoandTunisiahad longer bills while those in more coastal northern parts had shorter bills typical of the European subspecies. The authors sampled the mitochondrial DNA and found they were distinct genetically.[4]

Formerly, theMaghreb larkwas considered as a subspecies of the crested lark.[5]

Subspecies

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Thirty-threesubspeciesare recognized:[6]

  • Iberian crested lark(G. c. pallida) -Brehm, CL,1858:Found inPortugalandSpain
  • Central European crested lark(G. c. cristata) -(Linnaeus,1758):Found from southernScandinaviaandFranceeast toUkraineandHungary
  • West Italian crested lark(G. c. neumanni) -Hilgert,1907:Found in west-centralItaly
  • Grecian crested lark(G. c. meridionalis) -Brehm, CL, 1841:Originally described as a separate species. Found from easternCroatiatocentral Greeceand westernTurkey
  • Cyprus crested lark(G. c. cypriaca) -Bianchi,1907:Found onRhodes,KarpathosandCyprus
  • South-east European crested lark(G. c. tenuirostris) -Brehm, CL, 1858:Found from eastern Hungary andRomaniatosouthern RussiaandKazakhstan
  • Caucasian crested lark(G. c. caucasica) -Taczanowski,1888:Found on easternAegean islands,northern Turkey and southernCaucasus
  • North-west Moroccan crested lark(G. c. kleinschmidti) -Erlanger,1899:Found in north-western Morocco
  • West Moroccan crested lark(G. c. riggenbachi) -Hartert,1902:Found in western Morocco
  • North Algerian crested lark(G. c. carthaginis) -Kleinschmidt, O& Hilgert, 1905:Found from north-eastern Morocco to northern Tunisia
  • North-east Algerian crested lark(G. c. arenicola) -Tristram,1859:Originally described as a separate species. Found in north-easternAlgeria,southern Tunisia and north-westernLibya
  • Cyrenaica crested lark(G. c. festae) -Hartert, 1922:Found in coastal north-eastern Libya
  • North-east Libyan crested lark(G. c. brachyura) -Tristram, 1865:Found from inland north-eastern Libya to southernIraqand northernArabia
  • South-east Algerian crested lark(G. c. helenae) -Lavauden,1926:Found in south-eastern Algeria and south-western Libya
  • G. c. jordansi-Niethammer,1955:Found in theAïr Mountains(northernNiger)
  • Nile Delta crested lark(G. c. nigricans) -Brehm, CL, 1855:Originally described as a separate species. Found in theNile Delta(northern Egypt)
  • Northern Nile Valley crested lark(G. c. maculata) -Brehm, CL, 1858:Found in centralEgypt
  • Southern Nile Valley crested lark(G. c. halfae) -Nicoll,1921:Found insouthern Egyptand northernSudan
  • Dongola crested lark(G. c. altirostris) -Brehm, CL, 1855:Originally described as a separate species. Found in eastern Sudan andEritrea
  • Somali crested lark(G. c. somaliensis) -Reichenow,1907:Found in southernEthiopia,northernSomaliaand northernKenya
  • G. c. balsaci-Dekeyser&Villiers,1950:Found in coastalMauritania
  • Senegal crested lark(G. c. senegallensis) -(Statius Müller, PL,1776):Originally described as a separate species in the genusAlauda.Found from Mauritania andSenegalto Niger
  • Nigerian crested lark(G. c. alexanderi) -Neumann,1908:Found fromnorthern Nigeriatowestern Sudanand north-easternCentral African Republic
  • Sudan crested lark(G. c. isabellina) -Bonaparte,1850:Originally described as a separate species. Found in central Sudan
  • Coastal Levant crested lark(G. c. cinnamomina) -Hartert, 1904:Found in westernLebanonand north-westernIsrael
  • East Levant crested lark(G. c. zion) -Meinertzhagen,R, 1920:Found from southern Turkey to north-eastern Israel
  • Central Turkey crested lark(G. c. subtaurica) -(Kollibay,1912):Found from central Turkey to south-westernTurkmenistanandnorthern Iran
  • Kazakhstan crested larkorBaluchistan crested lark(G. c. magna) -Hume,1871:Originally described as a separate species. Found fromcentral Iranand central Turkmenistan to north-westernPakistan,Kazakhstan, southernMongoliaandnorth-western China
  • G. c. leautungensis-(R. Swinhoe,1861):Originally described as a separate species in the genusAlauda.Found in north-eastern andeastern China
  • G. c. coreensis-Taczanowski, 1888:Found inKorea
  • Gilgit crested lark(G. c. lynesi) -Whistler,1928:Found in northern Pakistan
  • Indian crested lark(G. c. chendoola) -(Franklin,1831):Originally described as a separate species in the genusAlauda.Found from central and eastern Pakistan through western andnorthern Indiato southernNepal


Description

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A fairly small lark, the crested lark is roughly the same size as aEurasian skylark,but shorter overall and bulkier around the head and body, and very similar in appearance,[7]with a height of 17 cm (6.7 in) and a wingspan of 29 to 38 cm (11 to 15 in), weighing between 37 and 55 g (1.3 and 1.9 oz).[8]It is a small, brown bird which has a short tail with light brown outer feathers. Male and females have no real differences, but young crested larks have more spots on their back than their older counterparts.[7]Itsplumageisdownybut sparse and appears whitish. The distinct crest from which the crested lark gets its name is conspicuous at all times but is more pronounced during territorial or courtship displays and when singing.[9][10]In flight it shows reddish underwings. It shares many characteristics with theThekla lark,with the main distinctions between the two being the beak, the Thekla's heavier black-brown streaks and its grey underwing, present in European specimens.[8]

Distribution and habitat

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The crested lark breeds across most oftemperateEurasia from Portugal tonorth-eastern Chinaandeastern India,and in Africa south to Niger. It isnon-migratory,and thesedentarynature of this species is illustrated by the fact that it is only a very rarevagrantto Great Britain,[11]despite breeding as close as northernFrance.[12]While the bird is not commonly found in Scandinavia today, it could be found inSwedenuntil the 1990s, with sources reporting six individual birds in 1992 before becomingextirpatedin Sweden in 1993.[13]The birds have also been extirpated in several other European countries, includingNorway(1972),Luxembourg(1973) andSwitzerland(1980s).[8]

This is a common bird of dry, open country and is often seen by roadsides or in cereal fields, although it is also found occupying small, sandy patches by railways, docks and airfields.[12]

Behaviour

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Video of singing bird

The crested lark is a songbird, and has a liquid, warblingsongdescribedonomatopoeicallyas awhee-whee-wheeoo[9]or atwee-tee-too.[7]It sings in flight from high in the sky, at roughly 30 to 60 m (98 to 197 ft) above the ground. The related Eurasian skylark exhibits similar behaviour but also sings during its ascent, whereas the crested lark sings either at altitude or on the ground.[14]Their flight pattern is an example ofundulatory locomotion.[9]

Breeding

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Eggs ofGalerida cristata-MHNT

It nests in small depressions in the ground, often in wastelands and on the outskirts of towns. The nests are untidy structures composed primarily of dead grasses and roots.[7]Three to five brown, finely speckledeggs,similar to those of the Eurasian skylark, are laid at a time and will hatch after11–12 days.[14]As with most larks, the chicks leave the nest early, after about eight days and take flight after reaching15–16 daysold.[12]Two broods will usually be raised each year.

Food and feeding

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Largely vegetarian birds, the crested lark primarily feeds on grains and seeds, such as oats, wheat and barley,[9]but will also eat insects, particularly beetles,[7]with food either being scavenged from the ground or dug up.[15]Juvenile birds are fed by both parents, and generally leave the nest before they are able to fly to start foraging for food themselves.

Relationship to humans

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Francis of Assisiconsidered the crested lark a bird of special significance, based on similarities he perceived between it and the life of theFriars Minor:its plain earth-coloured plumage and hood, its humility ( "for it goes willingly along the wayside and finds a grain of corn for itself" ), and its time spent in song.[16]

Status

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The crested lark has been categorised by theIUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesas being ofleast concern,meaning that it is not currently threatened with extinction.[1]Estimates for the global population of mature individuals of the species range from 22,000,000 to 91,200,000.[17]Figures for Europe are less varied, with estimates putting the number of breeding pairs at between 3,600,000 and 7,600,000, or between 7,200,000 and 15,200,000 individuals. In Europe, trends since 1982 have shown an overall decline in the population of the species, resulting in the assumption that the crested lark is in decline globally.[17]

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toGalerida cristata.
Wikispecieshas information related toGalerida cristata.
  1. ^abBirdLife International (2019)."Galerida cristata".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2019:e.T22717383A155503110.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22717383A155503110.en.Retrieved12 November2021.
  2. ^Harrison, C. J. O.(1966). "The Validity of Some Genera of Larks (Alaudidae)".Ibis.108(4): 573–83.doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1966.tb07209.x.
  3. ^Jobling, James A (2010).The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names.London: Christopher Helm. pp.122,169.ISBN978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. ^Guillaumet, Alban; Pons, Jean-Marc; Godelle, Bernard; Crochet, Pierre-Andre (2006). "History of the Crested Lark in the Mediterranean region as revealed by mtDNA sequences and morphology".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.39(3): 645–56.doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.002.PMID16473529.
  5. ^Gill, F; D Donsker, eds. (30 June 2013)."Waxwings to swallows".IOC World Bird List: Version 3.4.International Ornithologists' Union. Archived fromthe originalon 24 July 2011.Retrieved30 July2013.
  6. ^"IOC World Bird List 6.4".IOC World Bird List Datasets.doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.
  7. ^abcdeČerný, Walter (1975).A Field Guide in Colour to Birds.Translated by Margot Schierlová. Illustrated by Karel Drchal. London: Octopus Books Limited. pp. 156–157.ISBN070640405X.
  8. ^abcSnow, David; Perrins, Christopher M., eds. (1998).The Birds of the Western Palearctic concise edition.Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 1037–1040.ISBN0198501889.
  9. ^abcdHarbard, Chris (1989).Songbirds: How to attract them and identify their song.London: Kingfisher Books. p. 52.ISBN0862724597.
  10. ^Burnie, David (2001).Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife.London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 342.ISBN9780789477644.
  11. ^"Thousands flock to see rare bird".BBC News.2 May 2009.Retrieved28 July2013.
  12. ^abcHayman, Peter; Hume, Rob (October 2001).The complete guide to the bird life of Britain and Europe.Bounty Books. p. 185.ISBN9781857327953.
  13. ^"European news".British Birds.88.British Birds Ltd.: 274 June 1995.ISSN0007-0335.
  14. ^abHayman, Peter; Burton, Philip (1979). "Crested Lark".The Birdlife of Britain(2nd ed.). London: Mitchell Beazley Publishers Limited. p. 80.ISBN0855330872.
  15. ^Robinson, R.A. (16 January 2013)."Crested LarkGalerida cristata".BirdFacts.British Trust for Ornithology.Retrieved28 July2013.
  16. ^Armstrong, Edward A. (1973).Saint Francis, Nature Mystic: The Derivation and Significance of the Nature Stories in the Franciscan Legend.Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. pp. 90–91.ISBN0520019660.
  17. ^ab"Species factsheet:Galerida cristata".BirdLife International.Retrieved15 August2022.
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