| Ash's lark | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Alaudidae |
| Genus: | Mirafra |
| Species: | M. ashi |
| Binomial name | |
| Mirafra ashi Colston, 1982 | |
 | |
Ash's lark (Mirafra ashi) or Ash's bushlark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae endemic to Somalia.
The bird's common name and Latin binomial commemorate the British ornithologist John Sidney Ash. [2]
Ash's lark is typically 14 centimetres (5.5 in) in length. It has greyish-brown upperparts with paler edging to its mantle feathers, a buff-coloured underbelly and underparts with brownish streaks, a paler belly and vent, a light crest, and buff eyebrow stripes. [3]
Such a description is insufficient, however, since as with some other lark species it is difficult to definitively describe the bird without comparison to its close relatives. In the case of Ash's lark, it is smaller than the rufous-naped lark or the red-winged lark, and more greyish and marked on its mantle than either the singing lark (which has a thicker bill) or the pink-breasted lark (which has a pinkish breast). [3]
Its songs have yet to be identified. [3]
Population data of Ash's lark from recent decades has been greatly lacking. Political unrest has prevented accurate fieldwork in the region for many years. [3]
The only place known to be home to Ash's lark is a small area just north of Uarsciek in south-eastern Somalia, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Mogadishu. Even here where it is locally common, however, Ash's lark is easily overlooked because it shares the area with nine other species of lark, including both the red-winged lark and Somali long-billed lark. It is possible that Ash's lark is also present along the coast somewhat to the north of its known range since much of this land is little explored by ornithologists. [3]
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
Typical behaviour is to run across bare ground between bunches of grass prior to perching atop a tussock. It is threatened by habitat loss to coastal development. [3]
At present, little is known of Ash's lark's ecological relationships. [3]
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The wildlife of Somalia includes the flora and fauna of Somalia, which is extremely diverse due to the country's location between the temperate and the tropical zones. Somalia has a long coastline, bordered by the Indian Ocean in the east and Red Sea in the north. The Northwestern and Central parts of the country are arid, or very dry. The Southern and Northeastern regions are semi-arid, receiving slightly more rainfall than the Central and Northwest regions. The Coastal region is more humid due to its proximity to the ocean. Somalia is home to over 727 species of birds and boasts over 177 species of mammals.
John Sidney Ash was an English ornithologist. He had a strong interest in the avifauna from the Horn of Africa, in particular Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
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