Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark

Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark
	male
	female; both in Senegal
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Eremopterix
Species:	E. leucotis
Binomial name
	Eremopterix leucotis; (Stanley, 1814)
Subspecies
	see text
Synonyms
	Loxia leucotis;

The chestnut-backed sparrow-lark (Eremopterix leucotis) is a passerine bird which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

Taxonomy and systematics

The chestnut-backed sparrow-lark was originally placed in the genus Loxia.^[2] Alternate names for this species include: chestnut-backed finch-lark and white-cheeked sparrow-lark.

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized:^[3]

Senegal chestnut-backed finch-lark (E. l. melanocephalus) - (Lichtenstein, MHK, 1823): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Alauda. Found from Senegal and Gambia to central Sudan
E. l. leucotis - (Stanley, 1814): Found in southern and eastern Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and north-western Somalia
East African chestnut-backed finch-lark (E. l. madaraszi) - (Reichenow, 1902): Found from southern Somalia and Kenya to northern Malawi and northern Mozambique
E. l. hoeschi - White, CMN, 1959: Found from southern Angola and northern Namibia to western Zimbabwe
South African chestnut-backed finch-lark (E. l. smithi) - (Bonaparte, 1850): Found from southern Zambia and southern Malawi to eastern South Africa

Description

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.

Distribution and habitat

This lark is a bird of open dry habitats.

Behaviour and ecology

It nests on the ground and lays one egg. Its food is insects and seeds.

References

^ Template:IUCN
^ "Eremopterix leucotis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
^ "IOC World Bird List 6.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.

Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1

External links

Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.

[1] Template:IUCN

[2] "Eremopterix leucotis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-18.

[3] "IOC World Bird List 6.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.

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