Red-winged lark
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Mirafra
Species:
M. hypermetra
Binomial name
Mirafra hypermetra
(Reichenow, 1879)
Subspecies

See text

     resident range
Synonyms
  • Spilocorydon hypermetrus

The red-winged lark (Mirafra hypermetra) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in eastern Africa.

Taxonomy and systematics

The red-winged lark is taken to form a species complex with the allopatric[2] rufous-naped lark, and perhaps with the Somali lark. The name "red-winged lark" is sometimes used as an alternate name for the Indian bush lark. The alternate names red-winged bush lark and rufous-winged bush lark may also be used to describe the Indian bush lark or the Bengal bush lark respectively.[3][4]

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized:[5]

  • M. h. kathangorensis Cave, 1940 — found in south-eastern Sudan
  • M. h. kidepoensis Macdonald, 1940 — found in southern Sudan and north-eastern Uganda
  • Galla red-winged lark (M. h. gallarum) Hartert, 1907 — found in Ethiopia
  • M. h. hypermetra (Reichenow, 1879) — found in southern Somalia to north-eastern Tanzania

Description

Rufous-naped (left) and Red-winged larks by Henrik Grønvold

It is a larger version of the rufous-naped lark, with a more robust bill and longer tail,[6] but their morphological and vocal features do not intergrade where they occur together.[7]

Distribution and habitat

It has a patchy but quite extensive range in equatorial eastern Africa. It occurs within Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and its estimated global extent of occurrence is 660,000 km2.[1] Its total population has yet to be quantified, but is believed to be large.[1]

Its natural habitat is savanna[6] in tropical to subtropical dry, open, lowland.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mirafra hypermetra.
  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Mirafra hypermetra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22717038A94518943. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22717038A94518943.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Britton, P. L., ed. (1980). Birds of East Africa: 612. Mirafra africana Smith Rufous-naped Lark KTU 659. Nairobi: EANHS. p. 114.
  3. ↑ "Mirafra erythroptera – Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  4. ↑ "Mirafra assamica – Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  5. ↑ "IOC World Bird List 6.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.
  6. 1 2 Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2010). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara (2nd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 330. ISBN 9781770076235.
  7. ↑ "Rufous-naped Lark (Mirafra africana) - HBW 9, p. 551". Internet Bird Collection. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 29 June 2016.


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