Liben lark,
Archer's lark (Heteromirafra archeri ), also known as the Liben lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Somalia, Somaliland and Ethiopia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss. The bird's common name and binomial commemorate the British explorer and colonial official Sir Geoffrey Francis Archer.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Liben lark is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, with a relatively large head and short, plump body. It has buff underparts with a streaky breast. Its plumage is predominantly brown and reddish brown. It has a short, thin tail which is brown with white outer feathers. The call is unknown.
The bird's preferred habitat is open grasslands and rocky country, vegetated with tussocky perennial grasses and having an annual rainfall of 300–400 mm (12–16 in). The total area in which Liben lark can be found is estimated to be only 52 km2 (20 sq mi), largely in Ethiopia. The birds have not been recorded from the Wajaale clay plains on the border of Ethiopia and Somaliland since 1922. Due to habitat loss, Archer's lark has not been found in Somalia, since at least 1970.
The birds are largely terrestrial and their behaviour is cryptic. Though quite capable of flight, they often prefer to conceal themselves in vegetation.
Its diet is likely to consist of seeds and small invertebrates, including worms.
Nests have been found in summer. Clutch-size is three.
Since 1922 much former habitat in Somaliland has been occupied by refugees and turned into farmland. Grassland is being degraded by the invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus. Apart from habitat loss to agriculture, pastoralism and invasive weeds, threats include wildfire, severe weather events and climate change.
The population is estimated to number 50–250 mature individuals, based on a lack of confirmed sightings despite several searches having been conducted since 1955 in Somalia and Ethiopia. One of the last possible sightings of the bird was in Ethiopia in 2003. The species was declared critically endangered in 2005 and a conversation program to restore and protect grasslands has been initiated.
In 2011, David Hoddinott and his bird watching group had a sighting of a bird that may have been a Liben lark in north-eastern Ethiopia. They were able to get a photograph which is being studied to confirm the observation.
