Somali Lark
Corypha somalica
A slender lark with a sharp, straight dagger-like bill, long legs, a pale eyebrow, and a long dark tail with contrasting white outer tail feathers. Upperparts are rusty with whitish feather edging, giving it a scaly appearance. Underparts are whitish with rusty streaks across the chest. Endemic to Somalia in open grassland and lightly wooded areas, often on red sand, where pairs run extensively and fly only short distances. Vocalizations undescribed. Russet Lark is similar to Somali Lark, but has a more robust bill, shorter tail, richer rusty upperparts and buff (not white) outer tail feathers; Lesser Hoopoe-Lark is plain and pale.
Taxonomy
The Somali lark was originally classified as belonging to the genus Certhilauda. The term "Somali lark" is also used as an alternate name for both Archer's lark and Sharpe's lark. The term "red Somali lark" is also used as an alternate name for Sharpe's lark. Other alternate names include red Somali lark, Somali bushlark and Somali long-billed lark.<p>Two subspecies are recognized:
- Scientific name
- Corypha somalica
- Authority
- (Witherby, 1903)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Genus
- Corypha
Range and habitat
The range of M. somalica is somewhat large, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 270,000 km2.<p>Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Coracina macei
A large gray cuckooshrike with a strong, hooked bill. Upperparts are mostly gray with black primaries; male darker than female. Note pale patch on back and white tail tips when bird is in flight. Male is gray with a lightly barred white belly. Female has denser barring that transitions to a white lower belly and undertail. Both sexes have a dark patch from the bill to slightly behind the eye, giving a masked impression. Juvenile is brownish, heavily scaled with whitish-buff, and mottled on the underparts. Immature has broader white edges to wing feathers. Vocal. Often gives a two-noted, rather nasal “gii-yaak,” uttered in flight as well as from a perch; also gives scratchy squeal calls. Inhabits lightly wooded country, avoiding wet forests.
Straw-tailed Whydah
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