Lesser Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens) - HBW 9, p. 585

Taxonomy: A[lauda] rufescens Vieillot, 1820, Tenerife, Canary Islands.
May form a superspecies with C. somalica, until recently considered conspecific, and C. raytal; has sometimes been considered conspecific also with latter, but considerable differences in morphology, song and habitat choice. Was in the past sometimes referred to as C. pispoletta; that name has priority, but uncertain whether it applies to present species or to another member of the group. Geographical variation marked and complex; E races often treated as a separate species “C. cheleensis”, largely on grounds of apparent overlap of races heinei and leucophaea in region from Turkmenistan to S Kazakhstan, but not clear which taxa should be included within it, usually those E from Turkmenistan, although some authors have included races from as far W as Ukraine (heinei) and C Turkey (niethammeri); further study needed. Race tangutica sometimes merged with kukunoorensis, and stegmanni with beicki. Birds from Transbaikalia named as race obscura, but indistinguishable from cheleensis; others from Tuva Republic and NW Mongolia described as tuvinica, synonymized with seebohmi but possibly a valid race; aharonii (described from wintering specimens in C Syria) is probably a synonym of persica. Sixteen subspecies currently ­recognized.