Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark
| Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male in South Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | E. leucotis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eremopterix leucotis (Stanley, 1814)
| |
The chestnut-backed sparrow-lark (Eremopterix leucotis) is a passerine bird which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
This lark is a bird of open dry habitats. It nests on the ground and lays one egg. Its food is insects and seeds.
This is a small lark at 11 cm. The male is striking, with solid black underparts and head apart from brilliant white patches on the nape and behind the eyes. The upperparts and wings are chestnut with some dark streaking. The thick bill is grey.
The female chestnut-backed sparrow-lark is a drabber bird with heavily streaked buff-white underparts and head, and a white nape collar. The upperparts are chestnut with mottling. Young birds are like the female.
References
- Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eremopterix leucotis.
- Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.