Alternative name: Witherby's Lark
- Alaemon hamertoni
Identification
17-21 cm. A large, slender lark with long bill, long legs and a rather uniform plumage.
- Plain face with faintly paler supercilium
- Pale grey-brown upperparts with slightly darker brown flight-feathers
- Whitish or buffy underparts with indistinct mottling on breast
- Whitish legs
- tertius is more rufous tawny-sand, altera paler and warmer sandy brown
Sexes similar, females slightly smaller than males. Juveniles not described.
Similar species
Smaller than Greater Hoopoe-Lark. Note also the plain face and wings and the lack of a black-and-white wing pattern. Differs from Somali Long-billed Lark by plainer and generally paler plumage.
Distribution
Endemic to Somalia.
Poorly known but common or at least locally common.
Taxonomy
Three subspecies recognized:
- A. h. hamertoni in central Somalia
- A. h. tertius in northwest Somalia
- A. h. alter in north and northeast Somalia
May form a superspecies with Greater Hoopoe-Lark.
Habitat
Dry lowland grassland, favouring tussock grass.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds largely on insects. Forages on the ground, running rapidly and covering large distances. Behaviour similar to a pipit. Often perches on top of grass tufts.
Breeding
Breeding recorded from May to June. Probably a monogamous species. Shows a distinctive display-flight, parachuting back to ground on open wings. Two recorded nests were an open cup placed in a shallow depression in sandy soil. Lays 2 to 3 egg.
Movements
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2004. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334696
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Lesser Hoopoe-Lark. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Lesser_Hoopoe-Lark
