| Indian bush lark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| At Fulzar Dam | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Alaudidae |
| Genus: | Plocealauda |
| Species: | P. erythroptera |
| Binomial name | |
| Plocealauda erythroptera (Blyth, 1845) | |
 | |
The Indian bush lark (Mirafra erythroptera) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in South Asia.
The Indian bush lark was formerly placed in the genus Mirafra . It is one of five species moved to a newly erected genus, Plocealauda , based on evidence from a large molecular genetic study published in 2023. [2] [3] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. [2]
The alternate names "red-winged lark" and "red-winged bush lark" are more commonly used to describe the red-winged lark (M. hypermetra). [4] Other alternate names of the Indian bush lark are "Indian lark", "Indian red-winged lark", "red-winged singing bushlark" and "rusty-winged lark".
The plumage of the Indian bush lark is pale and it has a cheek patch completely bounded by a white supercilium and post-auricular border. The crown and upper-parts are heavily streaked. The pale underparts have large spots on the breast. Most of its wing coverts, tertials and central tail feathers have pale centres. The primary coverts look all brown. The rufous wing bars are diagnostic but care must be taken not to confuse the bird with Jerdon's bush lark in the central Western Ghats and country around where their ranges overlap. Jerdon's bush lark is darker with more rufous on the wings. It is distinguished from Jerdon's bush lark by its shorter bill and legs and longer tail.
It sings from bush tops but does not usually perch on trees or wires. The calls are similar to that of Jerdon's bush lark but are lower and have longer rattling tremolos often falling in pitch. [5]
The Indian bush lark is most commonly found in arid areas. It is found in Pakistan and north-western, central and south-central India.
The song-flight during the mating season is an amazing spectacle. The bird flutters high over the ground, then holds its wings in an open "V" and "parachutes" down to its perch uttering its song consisting of short tweets and cheeps in three syllables followed by a longer fourth syllable. This combination is repeated till the bird perches again.
The Bengal bush lark or Bengal lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Asia.
Jerdon's bush lark or Jerdon's lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in south Asia. This was formerly considered as a subspecies of Mirafra assamica and termed as the Madras bushlark. Two other species in the complex include Mirafra marionae and Mirafra microptera. Jerdon's bush lark is typically very pale on the underside
The rufous-tailed lark, also sometimes called the rufous-tailed finch-lark, is a ground bird found in the drier open stony habitats of India and parts of Pakistan. Like other species in the genus it has a large finch-like bill with a slightly curved edge to the upper mandible. The dull brown colour matches the soil as it forages for grass seeds, grain and insects. Males and females are indistinguishable in the field but during the breeding season, the male has a courtship display that involves flying up steeply and then nose-diving and pulling up in a series of stepped wavy dips accompanied by calling. They forage on the ground in pairs or small groups.
The singing bush lark or Horsfield's bush lark is a species of lark which inhabits grassland throughout most of Australia and much of Southeast Asia. It was described by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield.
Mirafra is a genus of lark in the family Alaudidae. Some Mirafra species are called "larks", while others are called "bush larks". They are found from Africa through South Asia to Australia.
The collared lark or collared bushlark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in East Africa.
Kordofan lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in Africa.
The Indochinese bush lark or Indochinese lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southeast Asia.
Gillett's lark or Gillett's bushlark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in eastern Africa.
The red-winged lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in eastern Africa.
The Burmese bush lark or Burmese lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in Southeast Asia.
The monotonous lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Africa.
The rusty bush lark, also known as the rusty lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in the Sahel region of north-central Africa.
The Somali lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae endemic to Somalia.
The rufous-naped lark or rufous-naped bush lark is a widespread and conspicuous species of lark in the lightly wooded grasslands, open savannas and farmlands of the Afrotropics. Males attract attention to themselves by a bold and often repeated wing-fluttering display from a prominent perch, which is accompanied by a melodious and far-carrying whistled phrase. This rudimentary display has been proposed as the precursor to the wing-clapping displays of other bush lark species. They have consistently rufous outer wings and a short erectile crest, but the remaining plumage hues and markings are individually and geographically variable. It has a straight lower, and longish, curved upper mandible.
The fawn-coloured lark or fawn-coloured bush-lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in south-central Africa.
The white-tailed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in Africa.
The Angola lark or Angola bushlark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern and central Africa.
Ash's lark or Ash's bushlark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae endemic to Somalia.
Plocealauda is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae. Introduced in 2023, it contains five species that were formerly placed in the genus Mirafra. The distributions range from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia.
