Arabian Lark
Eremalauda eremodites
A chunky, large-billed lark of desolate sandy deserts and open arid plains of the Arabian Peninsula. Plain sandy-brown above and paler below, with faint white markings and a dark moustache mark on the face. Also note the pinkish bill and the inky black outer tail feathers, most apparent in flight. Runs about on the ground, stopping abruptly. Found singly or in pairs when breeding, gathering in larger groups only during the non-breeding season. Song, a sequence of beautiful burbling phrases, is given both from the ground and in song flight. Calls include a low wet rattle and a mellow two-noted whistle. Generally similar to other dry-country larks such as Desert and Bar-tailed Larks, but combination of more streaked upperparts, black outer tail feathers, and uniformly pink and bulbous bill is diagnostic.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Eremalauda eremodites
- Authority
- (Meinertzhagen, R, 1923)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Eremalauda
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Nomadic movement
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ludwig's Bustard
Neotis ludwigii
A large-to-medium-sized bustard with a dull orangish nape and hind neck, and dark gray-brown fore neck and face. Female and juvenile are smaller than male and paler on the face and throat. Pairs and small groups march purposefully in open shrubland and arid woodland in the Karoo and Kalahari. It is partially nomadic within its range and can gather in groups of up to 70 individuals after good rains. The much larger Kori Bustard has a barred grayish neck. Denham’s Bustard has a pale gray fore neck, rather than the dark gray-brown fore neck of Ludwig’s Bustard.
Snoring Rail
Aramidopsis plateni
A large, little-known flightless rail from Sulawesi. Note the heavy bill, orange in females, duller in males, and the tailless appearance. Gray with an orange nape and contrastingly rufous wings. Note dense barring on belly. A rarely seen terrestrial bird of densely-vegetated forest floor in lowlands and foothills; sometimes occurs in nearby dense scrub too. Much larger and heavier-billed than Slaty-breasted Rail, and further differs in showing conspicuous rufous wings. Vocalizations include a low-pitched “mmmm” and wheezing and snoring noises.
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl
Ketupa nipalensis
Immense and imposing owl of dense wet lowland and hill forests. Silver-gray adult is majestic, with a large yellow bill, black eyes, and sweeping sidewards-facing “horns.” Juvenile is much paler, almost white, with shorter tufts. Gives deep echoing hoots. Primarily nocturnal, but will on occasion hunt by day; takes prey as large as small deer.
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