Black Lark
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis
Adult male is coal-black in worn plumage--unique amongst larks; in fresh plumage blackish feathers are edged in pale scaling. Female is duller and less distinctive: streaky gray-brown overall with a paler throat and belly and a stoutly pointed pinkish bill. Found in grassy steppe, particularly in areas interspersed with scattered shrubbery or wet patches; generally does not use agricultural lands, but can be found in association with domesticated livestock in the winter. Forages on the ground and flocks during colder months. Song is a long-winded series of drawn-out whistles, warbles, and chatters. Calls include various buzzy and squeaky notes.
Identification
This is a large, robust lark, 18–20.5 cm (7.1–8.1 in) in length. The adult male is unmistakable, being all black with some pale feather fringes on its back, and with a yellowish or pink bill. The female is undistinguished in comparison, mainly dark-blotched grey above and paler below. Her legs and underwing are black.<p>The song is like a frantic version of that of Eurasian skylark.
Taxonomy
The black lark was originally placed in the genus Alauda. The current genus name is from Ancient Greek. Melanocorypha is from melas, "black", and koruphos a term used by ancient writers for a now unknown bird, but here confused with korudos, "lark". The specific yeltoniensis is from Lake Yelton in the Volgograd region of Russia.
- Scientific name
- Melanocorypha yeltoniensis
- Authority
- (Forster, JR, 1768)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Melanocorypha
Range and habitat
This is a bird of open steppe, often near water. It is partially migratory, with birds from the northwest of its breeding range moving south-east to winter further into Russia and neighbouring countries, as far as the northern Black Sea coasts in southern Ukraine.<p>The black lark is a very rare vagrant away from its breeding range, with records during both spring and autumn passage periods, and also in winter; the following is a complete list of European records away from the breeding range and normal wintering range as of 2005.[citation needed]<p>An individual was also recorded on an unknown date (prior to 2003) in Lebanon.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Its nest is on the ground, with 4–5 eggs being laid. Food is seeds and insects, the latter especially in the breeding season. It is gregarious in winter.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-cheeked Tit
Aegithalos leucogenys
A tiny bird with a large head, a short bill, and a long tail. Similar in shape to other long-tailed tits, but note the unique combination of black throat, brown crown, and black eye-mask. Found in open woodlands and dry scrub forest. Usually forages in pairs or in small parties. The song is variable, consisting of harsh and disjointed sounds, shrill and squeaky notes, and trills and thin whistles.
Southern Hyliota
Hyliota australis
Mid-sized, generic-looking warbler-like bird. Males have a matte black back, a white wing patch, and very pale yellowish underparts. Females are similar, but browner on the back. Found mainly in broadleaf savanna, and locally in humid forest. Usually in pairs or small groups, which will join mixed-species feeding flocks. The quiet vocalizations include chatty calls and trills. Very similar to Yellow-bellied Hyliota. In most of the range, Southern males distinguished by the smaller white patch on the wing, and females by their browner upperparts. In Uganda and Kenya, males are extremely similar, but Southern can still be recognized by its non-glossy black back.
White-winged Cliff-Chat
Monticola semirufus
An attractive and distinctive chat of the Abyssinian highlands. Both sexes have dark upperparts and a large white patch in the middle of the wing. Males have a clean black hood and a red-orange belly, while females appear entirely dark save for the white wing patch, though close inspection reveals fine barring on the belly and rufous tones near the vent. Similar to Mocking Cliff-Chat, but easily separated by the white patch in the middle of the wing, rather than on the shoulder. The pretty, thrush-like song consists of low whistles and burry notes in short phrases.
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