Plocealauda | |
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Bengal bush lark (Plocealauda assamica) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Alaudidae |
Genus: | Plocealauda Alström, Mohammadi, Enbody, Irestedt, Engelbrecht, Crochet, Guillaumet, Rancilhac, Tieleman, Olsson, Donald & Stervander, 2023 |
Type species | |
Miafra assamica Bengal bush lark Horsfield, 1840 |
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.
A 2023 molecular phylogenetic study of the lark family Alaudidae by the Swedish ornithologist Per Alström and collaborators found that the genus Mirafra contained deep internal genetic divergences. They therefore proposed splitting Mirafra into four genera, each corresponding to a major clade. For three of the clades names were available but for the fourth clade they introduced the new name Plocealauda and designated the type species as Miafra assamica Horsfield, 1840, the Bengal bush lark. [1] The name Plocealauda is a portmanteau of the genera Ploceus introduced by Georges Cuvier for the weavers in 1816 and Alauda introduced by Carl Linnaeus for the larks in 1785. [2]
The genus Plocealauda contains five species, all of which include "bush lark" in their English name. [3]
Two species in other genera have "bush lark" in their English names: the singing bush lark (Mirafra javanica) and the rusty bush lark (Calendulauda rufa). [3]
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occurs in Australia. Habitats vary widely, but many species live in dry regions. When the word "lark" is used without specification, it often refers to the Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis).
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 Indian bush lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in South Asia.
The eastern clapper lark is a small passerine bird which breeds in southern Africa. It derives its name from the wing clapping which forms part of its display flight.
Mirafra is a genus of lark in the family Alaudidae. Some Mirafra species are called "larks", while others are called "bush larks". They are all found in Africa except for the singing bush lark that is found through South Asia to Australia.
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. It was formerly treated as conspecific with the Kidepo lark.
The Burmese bush lark or Burmese lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in Southeast Asia.
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 flappet lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae that is widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa. The name flappet originates from the distinctive wing flapping sound made during its breeding season.
The Somali lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae endemic to Somalia. Ash's lark is now considered to be a subspecies.
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 Angola lark or Angola bushlark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern and central Africa.
The russet lark, also known as Sharpe's lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in Somalia.
Amirafra is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae. It contains three species that were formerly placed in the genus Mirafra. These larks are found in sub-Sahara Africa.
Corypha is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae. These species were formerly placed in the genus Mirafra. They are widely distributed in open savannah-type habitats across sub-Saharan Africa.
The highland lark is a species of small passerine bird in the lark family Alaudidae found in Africa from Guinea to west Sudan. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the rufous-naped lark.
The plains lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and northwest Zambia. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the rufous-naped lark.