Monotonous lark

Monotonous lark
Breeding adult
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Mirafra
Species:
M. passerina
Binomial name
Mirafra passerina
     breeding and nomadic range
Synonyms
  • Mirafra fringillaris
Audio
Song

The monotonous lark (Mirafra passerina) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Africa.

Taxonomy and systematics

The alternate names "white-tailed lark" and "white-tailed bush-lark" should not be confused with the species of the same name, Mirafra albicauda. Other alternate names include monotonous bush lark and Southern white-tailed bush-lark.

Description

A medium-small, compact lark with a small bill, a plain face, and an indistinct eyebrow. It has streaky upperparts with a distinct rufous wing panel and a lightly-streaked buffy chest that separates the white throat from the pale belly.

Range

The range of the monotonous lark is quite broad, extending over six countries: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its global extent of occurrence is estimated at 1,400,000 km2.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Mirafra passerina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T22716992A94517013. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22716992A94517013.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Mirafra passerina - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-10.