Asian short-toed lark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Asian short-toed lark |
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Alaudala
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cheleensis
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The Asian short-toed lark (Alaudala cheleensis) is a small lark bird. It belongs to the Alaudidae family, which includes all larks. This bird was first described by a scientist named Robert Swinhoe in 1871. You can find these larks living across south-central and eastern parts of Asia.
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About the Asian Short-Toed Lark
This bird is known by a few different names. Sometimes people call it the Asiatic short-toed lark. Other names include eastern short-toed lark, grey short-toed lark, or even Mongolian short-toed lark. It's good to remember that the name "eastern short-toed lark" is also used for another bird, the steppe greater short-toed lark.
Scientists are always learning more about how birds are related. They sometimes group the Asian short-toed lark with other larks. For example, it was once thought to be part of the Calandrella group. Sometimes, it was even seen as a type of lesser short-toed lark.
How Scientists Study Larks
To understand bird families better, scientists use special tools. In 2020, a big study looked at the DNA of larks. They compared the DNA from Asian short-toed larks, sand larks, and Mediterranean short-toed larks.
This study helped them see how these birds are connected. They found that some of the groups might need to be reorganized. This means scientists are still working to make sure all the larks are classified correctly.
Different Types of Asian Short-Toed Larks
Just like people can have different looks depending on where they live, birds can too. These slightly different groups are called subspecies. There are six recognized subspecies of the Asian short-toed lark:
- A. c. leucophaea - Found from Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan. It was first described by Nikolai Severtzov in 1873.
- A. c. seebohmi - Lives in north-western China. Richard Bowdler Sharpe first described it in 1890.
- A. c. tuvinica - You can find this one in north-western Mongolia and southern Russia. L. S. Stepanyan described it in 1975.
- A. c. cheleensis - This is the main type, found in south-central Siberia, north-eastern Mongolia, and north-eastern China. Robert Swinhoe described it in 1871.
- A. c. kukunoorensis - Lives in west-central China. Nikolay Przhevalsky described it in 1876.
- A. c. beicki - Found in southern Mongolia and north-central China. Wilhelm Meise described it in 1933.
Images for kids
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A close-up of the Asian short-toed lark.
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Map showing where the Asian short-toed lark lives.
