Hume's short-toed lark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hume's short-toed lark
From Laxman chowk, close to Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Sikkim, India
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Calandrella
Species:	C. acutirostris
Binomial name
Calandrella acutirostris Hume, 1873
Subspecies
See text
Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist.

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

The Hume's short-toed lark (Calandrella acutirostris) is a small bird from the lark family. You can find these birds in south-central Asia. Their home stretches from countries like Iran and Kazakhstan all the way to China.

Meet Hume's Short-Toed Lark

This bird is named after Allan Octavian Hume, a British scientist. He was the first person to describe this bird species. Sometimes, people call it "Hume's lark" or "Karakoram short-toed lark."

It's good to know that the name "short-toed lark" can be a bit confusing. Three other bird species in the Calandrella group also use this name. Also, don't mix up "lesser short-toed lark" with another bird called Alaudala rufescens.

Different Types of Hume's Lark

Scientists recognize two main types, or subspecies, of Hume's short-toed lark:

• C. a. acutirostris: This type lives in north-eastern Iran, eastern Kazakhstan, and western China.
• Tibet short-toed lark (C. a. tibetana): This type was once thought to be a completely separate species. It lives from north-eastern Pakistan to the Tibetan Plateau.

What Does Hume's Lark Look Like?

Hume's short-toed lark looks a lot like the greater short-toed lark. However, Hume's lark is usually a bit duller in color. It has slightly darker feathers and a slightly smaller beak.

These larks grow to be about 13 to 14 centimeters (5 to 5.5 inches) long. Both male and female birds look very similar. Their colors can change a bit depending on where they live.

The top of their head is brown with some faint streaks. Their cheeks are a reddish-brown color. They have a white stripe above their eyes, called a supercilium. Their upper body is greyish-brown or sandy brown with darker streaks. The feathers covering their upper tail have a reddish-brown tint.

Their wings are greyish-brown with black bars and light tips on the feathers. The underside of their body is mostly whitish. They have a dark patch on their neck and a buffish-grey band across their chest. The chest itself does not have streaks.

You can often tell this bird apart by its voice. It makes a sharp "trree" sound. It also has a more rolling "drreep" call.

Images for kids

• 

  Hume's short-toed lark (Calandrella acutirostris). Amravati, Maharashtra, India.

• 

  Hume's short-toed lark (Calandrella acutirostris). Akola, Maharashtra, India.