Mediterranean short-toed lark

Last updated

Mediterranean short-toed lark
Calandrella rufescens -Canary Islands -Spain-8.jpg
On Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Alaudala
Species:
A. rufescens
Binomial name
Alaudala rufescens
(Vieillot, 1819)
Calandrella rufescens distribution map.png
Range includes that of A. heinei
Synonyms
  • Alauda rufescens
  • Calandrella pispoletta
  • Calandrella rufescens
Eggs of Alaudala rufescens minor MHNT Alaudala rufescens minor MHNT 225 Oued tlidjene Algerie.jpg
Eggs of Alaudala rufescens minor MHNT

The Mediterraneanshort-toed lark (Alaudala rufescens) is a small passerine bird found in and around the Mediterranean Basin. It is a common bird with a very wide range from Canary Islands north to the Iberian Peninsula and east throughout North Africa to parts of the Middle East. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". [1]

Contents

Its range was also previously thought to include parts of Central Asia, and with the Mediterranean and Central Asian clades combined the species was referred to as the lesser short-toed lark. However, a 2020 study split these two populations into distinct species, with A. rufescens being the Mediterranean clade and A. heinei being the Central Asian clade. Confusingly, Hume's short-toed lark is also sometimes called the lesser short-toed lark. [2]

Taxonomy and systematics

The Mediterranean short-toed lark was originally described as belonging to the genus Alauda . The genus name Alaudala is a diminutive of Alauda , and the specific rufescens is Latin for "reddish", from rufus "red". [3] Alternate names for the lesser short-toed lark include the common short-toed lark, grey lark, rufous short-toed lark and short-toed lark. Formerly or presently, some authorities considered the Athi short-toed lark, Asian short-toed lark and/or the Somali short-toed lark to be subspecies of the lesser short-toed lark.

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2020 compared the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from the sand, Asian short-toed, and Mediterranean short-toed larks. The study analysed samples from 130 individuals that represented 16 of the 18 recognised subspecies. The resulting phylogenetic tree indicated that neither the Asian short-toed lark, nor the Mediterranean short-toed lark as currently defined are monophyletic. Most of the subspecies were also found to be non-monophyletic. The authors refrained from proposing a revised taxonomy until additional studies had been completed comparing the vocalizations, sexual behaviour and ecology. [4]

Another 2020 study found that the Mediterranean and the Central & West Asian populations of A. rufescens represented two different species, the Mediterranean short-toed lark (A. rufescens) and the Turkestan short-toed lark (A. heinei). A. heinei was lifted to species status by some authorities such as the International Ornithological Congress, and 4 other subspecies originally assigned to rufescens were assigned to it instead. [2]

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized: [5]

4 other subspecies (A. r. heinei, A. r. pseudobaetica, A. r. aharonii, A. r. persica) were transferred to A. heinei when that species was split. [6]

Description

The Mediterranean short-toed lark is similar in size and appearance to the greater short-toed lark but is generally a duller-looking bird with a more streaked breast. It grows to a length of from 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) and the sexes are similar. As with the greater short-toed lark, the colour varies across the broad range and is not a good distinguishing feature. It is dark-streaked greyish-brown above, and white below. It has a pale supercilium, and a short stubby bill. [7]

Care must be taken to distinguish this species from the Calandrella larks. This species lacks the dark neck patches of the greater, and has fine streaking across the breast. The bill and head shape also differ, this species having a shorter, less-conical bill and a more-rounded, smaller head. The song is richer, more varied and imitative than that of its relative. [7]

Distribution and habitat

The Mediterranean short-toed lark breeds in Spain, north Africa, also including Turkey eastwards across the semi-deserts of central Asia to Mongolia and China. Many populations, including the Spanish and African breeders, are sedentary (non-migratory), but some Asian birds from the north of the breeding range migrate south in winter. This species is a very rare wanderer to northern and western Europe. [1]

Behaviour and ecology

This is a bird of dry open country, preferring even drier and barer soils than the greater short-toed lark. It nests on the ground, laying two or three eggs. Its food is seeds and insects, the latter especially in the breeding season. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian skylark</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian skylark is a passerine bird in the lark family, Alaudidae. It is a widespread species found across Europe and the Palearctic with introduced populations in Australia, New Zealand and on the Hawaiian Islands. It is a bird of open farmland and heath, known for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from heights of 50 to 100 metres. The sexes are alike. It is streaked greyish-brown above and on the breast and has a buff-white belly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horned lark</span> Species of bird

The horned lark or shore lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found across the northern hemisphere. It is known as "horned lark" in North America and "shore lark" in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calandra lark</span> Species of bird

The calandra lark or European calandra-lark breeds in warm temperate countries around the Mediterranean and eastwards through Turkey into northern Iran and southern Russia. It is replaced further east by its relative, the bimaculated lark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater short-toed lark</span> Species of bird

The greater short-toed lark is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, Calandrella, is a diminutive of kalandros, the calandra lark, and brachydactila is from brakhus, "short", and daktulos, "toe".

Short-toed lark refers to a number of species of lark:

<i>Alauda</i> Genus of birds

Alauda is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are known from the fossil record. The current genus name is from Latin alauda, "lark". Pliny the Elder thought the word was originally of Celtic origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental skylark</span> Species of bird

The Oriental skylark, also known as the small skylark, is a species of skylark found in the southern, central and eastern Palearctic. Like other skylarks, it is found in open grassland where it feeds on seeds and insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-capped lark</span> Species of bird

The red-capped lark is a small passerine bird that breeds in the highlands of eastern Africa southwards from Ethiopia and Somaliland. In the south, its range stretches across the continent to Angola and south to the Cape in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sand lark</span> Species of bird

The sand lark is a small passerine bird in the lark family, Alaudidae, found in southern Asia. It is somewhat similar to, but smaller than the short-toed larks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink-billed lark</span> Species of bird

The pink-billed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.

<i>Spizocorys</i> Genus of birds

Spizocorys is a genus of African larks in the family Alaudidae found in southern and eastern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hume's short-toed lark</span> Species of bird

Hume's short-toed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in south-central Asia from Iran and Kazakhstan to China.

<i>Calandrella</i> Genus of birds

Calandrella is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian short-toed lark</span> Species of bird

The Asian short-toed lark is a lark in the family Alaudidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1871. It is found from south-central to eastern Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali short-toed lark</span> Species of bird

The Somali short-toed lark is a small passerine bird of the lark family found in eastern and north-eastern Africa.

The Athi short-toed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.

<i>Alaudala</i> Genus of birds

Alaudala is a genus of lark in the family Alaudidae. The genus name is a diminutive of Alauda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongolian short-toed lark</span> Species of bird

The Mongolian short-toed lark or Sykes's short-toed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It breeds in China and Mongolia and winters in southern Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkestan short-toed lark</span> Species of bird

The Turkestan short-toed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Ukraine and central Turkey through parts of Central Asia and southern Siberia west to south-central Mongolia and south to southern Afghanistan. This species and the Mediterranean short-toed lark were formerly considered conspecific and called the lesser short-toed lark, but a 2020 study recovered them as distinct species.

The lesser short-toed lark has been split into two species:

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2019). "Alaudala rufescens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T104007058A155453361. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T104007058A155453361.en . Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 Alström, Per; Van Linschooten, Jip; Donald, Paul F.; Sundev, Gombobaatar; Mohammadi, Zeinolabedin; Ghorbani, Fatemeh; Shafaeipour, Arya; Van Den Berg, Arnoud; Robb, Magnus; Aliabadian, Mansour; Wei, Chentao; Lei, Fumin; Oxelman, Bengt; Olsson, Urban (2021-01-01). "Multiple species delimitation approaches applied to the avian lark genus Alaudala". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 154: 106994. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106994 . ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   33250446.
  3. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  37, 341. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. Ghorbani, F.; Aliabadian, M.; Zhang, R.; Irestedt, M.; Hao, Y.; Sundev, G.; Lei, F.; Ma, M.; Olsson, U.; Alström, P. (2020). "Densely sampled phylogenetic analyses of the Lesser Short-toed Lark (Alaudala rufescens) — Sand Lark (A. raytal) species complex (Aves, Passeriformes) reveal cryptic diversity". Zoologica Scripta. 49 (4): 427–439. doi: 10.1111/zsc.12422 .
  5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Nicators, reedling, larks". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  6. "Alaudala [rufescens or heini, excl. niethammeri] (Mediterranean or Turkestan Short-toed Lark [excl. niethammeri]) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  7. 1 2 Mark Beaman; Steve Madge (1998). The Handbook of Bird Identification: For Europe and the Western Palearctic. Christopher Helm. p. 547. ISBN   978-0-7136-3960-5.
  8. "Lesser Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 17 November 2016.