Mongolian Lark
Melanocorypha mongolica
A large, brightly-colored lark of grassy steppe; often found near lakes and wet meadows. Brown overall with cinnamon tinges to the crown and shoulders, a down-curved white eyebrow, and a blotchy black collar that breaks at the throat. Highly distinctive in flight: black-and-white wing pattern is reminiscent of certain lapwings and plovers, and visible from a great distance. Usually seen singly.
Identification
Its head is pale brown, with a red crown. Its upper part is reddish-brown, and its lower part is yellowish-white.
Taxonomy
The black lark was originally placed in the genus Alauda. Alternate names for the black lark include Mongolian sand-lark and Mongolian skylark.
- Scientific name
- Melanocorypha mongolica
- Authority
- (Pallas, 1776)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Melanocorypha
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Blue-fronted Lancebill
Doryfera johannae
Chunky hummingbird with a long, mostly straight bill. Male’s bluish-purple forecrown and mostly black underparts are distinctive. Female lacks black and has a green forecrown; she is very similar to female Green-fronted Lancebill but is smaller, has less extensive bronzy tones on the head, a bluish tail, and a lighter forecrown. Typically found in middle elevation cloud forest, often near streams. In the Andean part of its range, it is only found on the east slope. Visits feeders.
White-bellied Seedeater
Sporophila leucoptera
Small finchlike bird with a short but very strong bill. Males are gray above (black in Bolivia) and white or grayish below with a white patch on the wings. Note the yellow bill. Females are brown above with a paler belly and a dark bill. Found in grasslands with scattered bushes.
Chinese Bush Warbler
Locustella tacsanowskia
Typical brown bush-warbler; forages quietly deep in dense undergrowth. Prefers wet areas such as reedbeds, riparian shrubbery, and marshy groves. Dirt-brown above with a white throat and brown-washed underparts. Some adults have light streaking on the throat, but streaks are thinner and less extensive than those of Baikal Bush Warbler. Song is insect-like and similar to that of Baikal Bush Warbler, but with a coarser, more scraping quality.
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