Biology:Red-winged lark

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Short description: Species of bird

Red-winged lark
Red-winged Lark, crop.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Mirafra
Species:
M. hypermetra
Binomial name
Mirafra hypermetra
(Reichenow, 1879)
Subspecies

See text

Mirafra hypermetra distribution map.png
     resident range
Synonyms
  • Spilocorydon hypermetrus

The red-winged lark (Mirafra hypermetra) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in eastern Africa.

Taxonomy and systematics

The red-winged lark is taken to form a species complex with the allopatric[2] rufous-naped lark, and perhaps with the Somali lark. The name "red-winged lark" is sometimes used as an alternate name for the Indian bush lark. The alternate names red-winged bush lark and rufous-winged bush lark may also be used to describe the Indian bush lark or the Bengal bush lark respectively.[3][4]

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized:[5]

  • M. h. kathangorensis Cave, 1940 — found in south-eastern Sudan
  • M. h. kidepoensis Macdonald, 1940 — found in southern Sudan and north-eastern Uganda
  • Galla red-winged lark (M. h. gallarum) Hartert, 1907 — found in Ethiopia
  • M. h. hypermetra (Reichenow, 1879) — found in southern Somalia to north-eastern Tanzania

Description

Rufous-naped (left) and Red-winged larks by Henrik Grønvold

It is a larger version of the rufous-naped lark, with a more robust bill and longer tail,[6] but their morphological and vocal features do not intergrade where they occur together.[7]

Distribution and habitat

It has a patchy but quite extensive range in equatorial eastern Africa. It occurs within Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and its estimated global extent of occurrence is 660,000 km2.[1] Its total population has yet to be quantified, but is believed to be large.[1]

Its natural habitat is savanna[6] in tropical to subtropical dry, open, lowland.

References

Wikidata ☰ Q3233038 entry