- Galerida theklae
Identification
It has a long spiky erectile crest. Dark-streaked grey above and whitish below, grey underwings. Notice upper-tail coverts are rusty in contrast with greyish rump. The sexes are similar.
Similar species
Distribution
Iberia, northern Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia.
Taxonomy
Galerida theklae has 12 subspecies.[1]
Habitat
Dry open country, often at some altitude.
- Specifically for Iberia:
- Rocky or stony soil with stones larger than about 1cm diameter.
- Presence of shrubs from about 20cm to over 1m and can include some trees usually oaks (Cork and Holm Oak) or Pines (Stone and Maritime)
- Percentage of woody vegetation cover sparse to 100% - usually scrub.
- In areas with high cover they can be on sandy soils, fixed dunes and heaths etc.
- Some bare ground at least - tracks are sufficient.
- Habitats usually covering large or very large areas with low human impact.
Behaviour
It nests on the ground, laying 2-6 eggs.
The diet includes weed seeds and insects, the latter especially in the breeding season.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
- Birdforum discussion of habitat choice
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Thekla's Lark. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Thekla%27s_Lark
