Jerdon's Bushlark
Plocealauda affinis
A chunky brown bird with a short tail and a big, heavy bill. It has strong streaking above and arrow-like spots on the breast. The facial pattern is messy, with dark cheeks and no distinct eyebrow. Juveniles are often paler overall. Similar to Indian and Singing Bushlarks, but Jerdon’s has stronger streaking, looks rounder, and has a shorter tail than either of the others. Similar in proportions to Bengal Bushlark, but Jerdon’s Bushlark is paler, with browner wings. It inhabits open scrub and often perches on trees and wires. The song consists of high-pitched whistles, buzzy trills, and rattles.
Identification
Jerdon's bush lark has arrowhead-like spots pointing upwards on the breast. It is very similar to the Indian bush lark (M. erythroptera) but has buffy lores, less white behind ear coverts, darker center to wing coverts and central tail feathers. Dark centers of primary coverts are prominent, and wing panels are duller and rufous. In the southern Western Ghats, the race ceylonensis is darker and more rufous on the underside and has a longer bill. Jerdon's bush lark has paler, greyish-brown underparts.<p>The song of the Jerdon's bush lark is a dry rattle given from its perch.
Taxonomy
The common name commemorates the surgeon-naturalist Thomas C. Jerdon.<p>Formerly, Jerdon's bush lark was considered to be a subspecies of the Bengal bush lark (as M. assamica affinis) until studies of differences in call and distribution led to it being treated as a separate species. However, not all authorities recognize this species split.
- Scientific name
- Plocealauda affinis
- Authority
- Blyth, 1845
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Plocealauda
Range and habitat
Jerdon's bush lark has a large range in south-east India and Sri Lanka, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000-1,000,000 square kilometers.<p>It has proven adaptable to a variety of open habitats up to a maximum elevation of 1500 m. Some of these are forest perimeters, rocky scrubland, scrubby hill meadows and clearings in open-type forests, shrub-edged unused croplands, and thickets of bamboo.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Its song-flight is similar to that of the Indian bush lark, However, unlike the aforementioned species, Jerdon's bush lark often perches on trees and wires.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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