Pink-billed lark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pink-billed lark |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Genus: |
Spizocorys
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Species: |
conirostris
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Subspecies | |
See text |
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Range | |
Synonyms | |
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The pink-billed lark (Spizocorys conirostris) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is described as having a low breeding success rate.
Taxonomy and systematics
The pink-billed lark was originally classified within the genus Alauda. Some authorities have placed the pink-billed lark in the genus Calandrella.
Subspecies
Six subspecies are recognized:
- Damara pink-billed lark (S. c. damarensis) - Roberts, 1922: Alternately named Kenya short-toed lark (a name also used by the Athi short-toed lark). Found in north-western Namibia
- S. c. crypta - (Irwin, 1957): Found in north-eastern Botswana
- S. c. makawai - (Traylor, 1962): Found in western Zambia
- S. c. harti - (Benson, 1964): Found in south-western Zambia
- S. c. barlowi - Roberts, 1942: Found in southern Namibia, southern Botswana and north-western South Africa
- S. c. conirostris - (Sundevall, 1850): Found in south-eastern Botswana, northern, central and eastern South Africa
Vocalizations
Twelve types of vocalizations have been recorded.
- Nestling begging call: nestlings hiss or peep when they see a parent flying toward the nest.
- Nestling distress call: nestlings make a harsh pulsed call when in distress
- Nestling feeding call: parents make a soft chi-chi-chi sound when feeding nestlings
- Threat call: harsh and grating
- Appeasement calls: either chattering or metallic, made by parents during incubation
- Alarm call: pulsed, with a sharp rise then gradual fall in frequency. Mostly made while in flight.
- Attack call: series of tsks, made while chasing other pink-billed larks
- Cricket call: soft and rapid, often made while in flight
- Foraging calls: soft, with mixed sounds
- Flight call: high-pitched, possibly unique to each individual. Usually made while flying in flocks
- Flight song: made by males when performing aerial display. Rapid and pulsed.
- The bird stays silent while steeply ascending, then begins singing. It then flies irregularly while singing its flight song, which usually lasts less than a minute. It sometimes then descends sharply.
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Pink-billed lark Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.