Pink-billed lark
Appearance
Pink-billed lark | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Alaudidae |
Genus: | Spizocorys |
Species: | S. conirostris
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Binomial name | |
Spizocorys conirostris (Sundevall,1850)
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Subspecies | |
See text | |
Range | |
Synonyms | |
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Thepink-billed lark(Spizocorys conirostris) is a species oflarkin the familyAlaudidaefound in southern Africa. Its naturalhabitatis subtropical or tropical dry lowlandgrassland.It is described as having a low breeding success rate.[2]
Taxonomy and systematics
[edit]The pink-billed lark was originally classified within the genusAlauda.Some authorities have placed the pink-billed lark in the genusCalandrella.[3]
Subspecies
[edit]Sixsubspeciesare recognized:[4]
- Damara pink-billed lark(S. c. damarensis) -Roberts,1922:Alternately namedKenya short-toed lark(a name also used by theAthi short-toed lark). Found in north-western Namibia
- S. c. crypta-(Irwin,1957):Found in north-eastern Botswana
- S. c. makawai-(Traylor,1962):Found in western Zambia
- S. c. harti-(Benson,1964):Found in south-western Zambia
- S. c. barlowi-Roberts, 1942:Found in southern Namibia, southern Botswana and north-western South Africa
- S. c. conirostris-(Sundevall,1850):Found in south-eastern Botswana, northern, central and eastern South Africa
Vocalizations
[edit]Twelve types of vocalizations have been recorded.[5]
- Nestling begging call: nestlings hiss or peep when they see a parent flying toward the nest.
- Nestling distress call: nestlings make a harsh pulsed call when in distress
- Nestling feeding call: parents make a softchi-chi-chisound when feeding nestlings
- Threat call: harsh and grating
- Appeasement calls: either chattering or metallic, made by parents during incubation
- Alarm call: pulsed, with a sharp rise then gradual fall in frequency. Mostly made while in flight.
- Attack call: series oftsks, made while chasing other pink-billed larks
- Cricket call: soft and rapid, often made while in flight
- Foraging calls: soft, with mixed sounds
- Flight call: high-pitched, possibly unique to each individual. Usually made while flying in flocks
- Flight song: made by males when performing aerial display. Rapid and pulsed.
- The bird stays silent while steeply ascending, then begins singing. It then flies irregularly while singing its flight song, which usually lasts less than a minute. It sometimes then descends sharply.[5]
References
[edit]- ^BirdLife International (2016)."Spizocorys conirostris".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2016:e.T22717352A94528403.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22717352A94528403.en.Retrieved13 November2021.
- ^Engelbrecht, G. Derek; Masotla, Makhudu J. (2021-04-28)."Breeding ecology of the Quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis) in the Limpopo Province, South Africa".The Wilson Journal of Ornithology.132(3).doi:10.1676/19-27.ISSN1559-4491.
- ^"Spizocorys conirostris - Avibase".avibase.bsc-eoc.org.Retrieved2016-12-04.
- ^"IOC World Bird List 6.4".IOC World Bird List Datasets.doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.
- ^abEngelbrecht, Derek (2021-12-13)."Vocalizations and song flight of Pink-billed Lark Spizocorys conirostris".Afrotropical Bird Biology: Journal of the Natural History of African Birds.1(1).doi:10.15641/abb.v1i.1095.ISSN2790-0592.
External links
[edit]Wikimedia Commons has media related toSpizocorys conirostris.
Wikispecieshas information related toSpizocorys conirostris.
- Species text-The Atlas of Southern African Birds