Sand Lark
Alaudala raytal
Very pale gray-brown lark with a weak crest. Dark eyes stand out in pale face. Lightly streaked above and clean white below. Highly specialized; found only in dry, sandy waterside areas such as riverbanks, river islands, lakeshores, and coastal areas. Buzzy trilling song usually given in towering flight.
Identification
The sand lark is about 12 or 13 cm (4.7 or 5.1 in) long. There is considerable geographic variation and three subspecies are recognized. All subspecies are dull brownish grey with faintly streaked upperparts and appears distinctly short-tailed with a fine bill. The bill length varies geographically short and stubby in the western part and long and fine tipped in the eastern part of its range. Subspecies krishnakumarsinhji found around Bhavnagar in Gujarat is greyer above with broad dark streaks on the upper plumage and breast. The lores and supercilium are white as is the area under the eye and the entire underside. The whitish breast has fine streaks in the subspecies other than krishnakumarsinhji and the streaking on the upperparts is faint. The nominate subspecies is found across the Gangetic plains and extends into southern Burma. Subspecies adamsi of West Asia (Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan) and parts of northwest India is paler.The species name raytal is derived from the Hindi name of retal which is derived from réth, the word for sand.
Taxonomy
The sand lark was originally assigned to the genus Alauda. It was later placed in the genus Calandrella until it was moved back to Alaudala in 2014 although not all authorities have recognized this change yet. The alternate name Asian short-toed lark is usually used to refer to the species of the same name, Alaudala cheleensis. Other alternate names include Ganges sand lark, Indian sand lark and Indian short-toed lark.<p>Three subspecies are recognized:
- Scientific name
- Alaudala raytal
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1845)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Alaudala
Range and habitat
The species is found across the Gangetic plains, the sandy banks of the Indus, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy and Chindwin Rivers. It is also found along the Narmada River but is much rarer there. It is found mainly on sandy islands along rivers and nearby fields. They also occur on coastal dunes and dry mud-flats.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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