Larks (Alaudidae)

Greater Hoopoe-lark (Alaemon alaudipes) - HBW 9, p. 567

French: Sirli du désert German: Wüstenläuferlerche Spanish: Alondra Ibis
Other common names: Hoopoe Lark, Bifasciated Lark, Large Desert Lark

Taxonomy: Upupa alaudipes Desfontaines, 1789, between Gafsa and Tozeur, Tunisia.
Affinities uncertain. May form a superspecies with A. hamertoni, but differs from that species in nest and display behaviour. Geographical variation rather slight; size increase partially clinal from W to E. Nominate race and doriae intergrade in Middle East. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

boavistae Hartert, 1917 - Cape Verde Is (Boavista, Maio).
alaudipes (Desfontaines, 1789) - Sahara Desert (from S Morocco S to Mauritania, N & C Mali, C Niger, C & E Chad and N Sudan) E to Syria, Jordan and N Arabia.
desertorum (Stanley, 1814) - Red Sea coasts from S Sudan (Port Sudan) S to NW Somalia, and from C Saudi Arabia (Jiddah) S to S Yemen (Aden).
doriae (Salvadori, 1868) - Iraq and E Arabia E to Pakistan and adjacent extreme NW India.