Sabota lark

Sabota lark
Calendulauda sabota suffusca in the Kruger NP
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Calendulauda
Species:
C. sabota
Binomial name
Calendulauda sabota
(Smith, 1836)
Subspecies

See text

      range
Synonyms
  • Mirafra sabota
Audio
Call of Calendulauda sabota sabota at Dinokeng GR

The sabota lark (Calendulauda sabota) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in southern Africa in its natural habitats of dry savannah, moist savannah, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is generally sedentary but local movements occur in drier regions. The species name is derived from sebotha or sebothé, the Tswana generic name for a lark.

Taxonomy and systematics

Formerly, the Sabota lark was classified as belonging to the genus Mirafra until moved to Calendulauda in 2009. Not all authorities have followed this re-classification. Two distinctive taxa of this species are respectively known as the large-billed Sabota lark and small-billed Sabota lark. The large-billed subspecies are found in the dry to arid west and south of its range, while the small-billed subspecies are native to mesic woodlands of the north and east.

Subspecies

Nine subspecies are recognized:

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International. (2024). "Calendulauda sabota". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024 e.T22717127A263895643. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22717127A263895643.en. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  2. ↑ Chittenden, H.; Allan, David; Weiersbye, Ingrid; et al. (2012). Roberts geographic variation of southern African birds. Cape Town: JVBBF. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-920602-00-0.
  3. ↑ "Taxonomy Version 2 « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  4. ↑ "Calendulauda sabota - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  5. ↑ "IOC World Bird List 6.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.
  6. ↑ "Calendulauda [sabota or naevia] - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-16.