Bar-tailed lark

Bar-tailed lark

Bar-tailed desert lark

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Ammomanes cinctura

The bar-tailed lark, or bar-tailed desert lark, (Ammomanes cinctura ) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. Two other species, the rufous-tailed lark and the Cape clapper lark are both also sometimes referred to using the name bar-tailed lark. It is found from Morocco to Pakistan. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. This is in many places a common species, but elsewhere rather less common. It has a very wide distribution and faces no obvious threats, but surveys have shown that it is slowly decreasing in numbers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Appearance

The bar-tailed lark is similar to the desert lark in appearance, but at 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in), is slightly smaller, with a smaller, more domed head, a smaller beak, thinner legs and a shorter tail. The upper parts are sandy-buff washed with grey, while the underparts are whitish with little if any streaking, and the breast and flanks washed with buff. The rufous wings have dark trailing edges and the rufous tail has a terminal black band.

Distribution

Geography

The bar-tailed lark has a large distribution across North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East and western Asia. Its range includes Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Cape Verde, Chad, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara and Yemen. Its typical habitat is sandy or stony desert or semi desert, with low scrubby vegetation. It is generally shier than the desert lark and has a preference for level ground whereas the desert lark tends to frequent rocky slopes and hillsides.

Bar-tailed lark habitat map

Biome

Bar-tailed lark habitat map
Bar-tailed lark
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Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

References

1. Bar-tailed lark Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar-tailed_lark
2. Bar-tailed lark on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22717236/155455024
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/309953

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