Larks (Alaudidae)
Eastern Clapper Lark (Mirafra fasciolata) - HBW 9, p. 553
French: Alouette fasciée
German: Ostklapperlerche
Spanish: Alondra Aplaudidora Oriental
Other common names: Damara Clapper Lark (“damarensis”); Namaqua Clapper Lark (fasciolata)
Taxonomy: Alauda fasciolata Sundevall, 1850, Vaal River, Transvaal, South Africa.
Scientific name for species formerly given as rufipilea, but that name is apparently indeterminate. In the past, was usually treated as conspecific with M. apiata; the two were recently resplit on basis of plumage, morphology, display and genetic differences; boundary between the two species in Eastern Cape (South Africa) requires investigation. Geographical differences broadly clinal; further study may lead to several races being subsumed, especially in N of range (where only small series of specimens obtained); damarensis possibly an intergrade between deserti an.. View all taxonomy...
Scientific name for species formerly given as rufipilea, but that name is apparently indeterminate. In the past, was usually treated as conspecific with M. apiata; the two were recently resplit on basis of plumage, morphology, display and genetic differences; boundary between the two species in Eastern Cape (South Africa) requires investigation. Geographical differences broadly clinal; further study may lead to several races being subsumed, especially in N of range (where only small series of specimens obtained); damarensis possibly an intergrade between deserti and reynoldsi. Name hewitti is a junior synonym of nominate. Birds from W Botswana (Ngamiland and Kalahari) described as race kalaharica, but not consistently different from deserti. Five subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- reynoldsi Benson & Irwin, 1965 - SW Zambia, N Namibia and N Botswana; probably also SE Angola.
- jappi Traylor, 1962 - W Zambia.
- nata Smithers, 1955 - NE Botswana.
- reynoldsi Benson & Irwin, 1965 - SW Zambia, N Namibia and N Botswana; probably also SE Angola.
- jappi Traylor, 1962 - W Zambia.
- nata Smithers, 1955 - NE Botswana.
- deserti (Roberts, 1926) - EC Namibia and W, E & S Botswana.
- fasciolata (Sundevall, 1850) - C & E South Africa.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird running on bare ground and hiding behind small shrubs Locality Kimberley, Northern Cape Province, South Africa (ssp fasciolata)
Keith Blomerley 27 January 2007 4 years ago 23 sec 3.3
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Clapper Lark foraging
Locality Karoo National Park, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Rhonda Hansch 3 October 2008 22 weeks ago 3.3 -
A bird on the ground
Locality Nata, Central District, Botswana
Aleix Comas 5 September 2007 2 years ago 3
- No sound recordings available yet
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