Fawn-coloured lark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fawn-coloured lark
in South Africa
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Calendulauda
Species:	C. africanoides
Binomial name
Calendulauda africanoides (Smith, 1836)
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Synonyms
Mirafra africanoides

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The fawn-coloured lark (Calendulauda africanoides) is a small bird. It belongs to the lark family, called Alaudidae. This bird is also known as the fawn-coloured bush-lark. You can find it living in many parts of south-central Africa.

About the Fawn-coloured Lark

The fawn-coloured lark is a type of passerine bird. This means it is a perching bird, like many common garden birds. It gets its name from its light brown or "fawn" color. This helps it blend in with its surroundings.

Bird Classification: Taxonomy

Scientists group living things into categories. This is called taxonomy. It helps us understand how different animals are related.

How Scientists Classify Larks

For a long time, the fawn-coloured lark was placed in the genus Mirafra. A genus is a group of closely related species. In 2009, scientists decided to move it to a new genus called Calendulauda. This change happened after more studies on the bird's features and DNA.

Different Types of Fawn-coloured Larks

There are six different types, or subspecies, of the fawn-coloured lark. Each subspecies lives in a slightly different area. They might have small differences in their looks or habits.

• C. a. trapnelli (described in 1943): This type lives in south-eastern Angola and south-western Zambia.
• Damaraland fawn-coloured lark or Naivasha fawn-coloured lark (C. a. harei, described in 1917): You can find this one from central Namibia to south-western Botswana and north-western South Africa.
• C. a. makarikari (described in 1932): This subspecies lives from south-western Angola and northern Namibia to western Zambia and northern and central Botswana.
• C. a. sarwensis (described in 1932): This type is found in western Botswana, eastern Namibia, and north-central South Africa.
• C. a. vincenti (described in 1938): This subspecies lives in central Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique.
• C. a. africanoides (described in 1836): This is the original type. It lives in southern Namibia, southern and eastern Botswana, south-western Zimbabwe, and northern South Africa.

Where Fawn-coloured Larks Live: Distribution and Habitat

The fawn-coloured lark lives in a very large area of Africa. Its range covers about 2.4 million square kilometers!

Countries Where They Are Found

You can find this bird in many countries across south-central Africa. These include:

• Angola
• Botswana
• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

What Kind of Places They Like

Fawn-coloured larks prefer certain types of places to live. These are called their habitat. They often live in dry, open areas. This includes grasslands, savannas, and shrublands. Their fawn color helps them hide among the dry grasses and bushes.