Mediterranean Short-toed Lark - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by Yeray

Alaudala rufescens

Calandrella rufescens

Identification

Dark-streaked greyish-brown above, and white below. It has a pale supercilium, and a short stubby bill. At least in the Iberian Peninsula, the distinct breast streaking contrasts sharply with the white lower breast (like Pectoral Sandpiper).

Distribution

Iberian Peninsula, Canary Islands, north Africa, Middle East.

Taxonomy

Subspecies apetzii
Photo © by Steve G
Lucio del Lobo, Donana, Spain, April 2004

This species was formerly included in Lesser Short-toed Lark sensu lato.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• A.r. rufescens

• Canary Islands (Tenerife, where perhaps extirpated, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote)

• A.r. apetzii

• Southern Spain and Portugal

• A.r. minor

• Northern Africa (from Morocco east to Egypt) and from southern Turkey south to the Sinai Peninsula and east to Iraq

Habitat

Dry open country, preferring dry and bare soils.

Behaviour

It nests on the ground, laying 2-3 eggs.

Diet includes seeds and insects, the latter especially in the breeding season.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Birdforum thread discussing the id of this species

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Mediterranean Short-toed Lark. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Mediterranean_Short-toed_Lark

External Links

Search for photos of Mediterranean Short-toed Lark in the gallery

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.