Larks (Alaudidae)
Red-capped Lark (Calandrella cinerea) - HBW 9, p. 583
French: Alouette cendrille
German: Rotkappenlerche
Spanish: Terrera Capirotada
Other common names: African Short-toed/Rufous Short-toed Lark
Taxonomy: Alauda cinerea J. F. Gmelin, 1789, no locality = Cape Town, South Africa.
May form a superspecies with C. brachydactyla, C. blanfordi, C. erlangeri and C. acutirostris; often considered conspecific with first three (especially C. blanfordi and C. erlangeri). Geographical variation among many contiguous races limited and broadly clinal; further study may demonstrate that several taxa are not sustainable. Additional named races are ongumaensis (N Namibia), synonymized with spleniata, witputzi (S Namibia), included in nominate, and vagilans (E Botswana and NE South Africa), included in niveni.. View all taxonomy...
May form a superspecies with C. brachydactyla, C. blanfordi, C. erlangeri and C. acutirostris; often considered conspecific with first three (especially C. blanfordi and C. erlangeri). Geographical variation among many contiguous races limited and broadly clinal; further study may demonstrate that several taxa are not sustainable. Additional named races are ongumaensis (N Namibia), synonymized with spleniata, witputzi (S Namibia), included in nominate, and vagilans (E Botswana and NE South Africa), included in niveni; also, description of anderssoni (C Namibia) apparently based on worn non-breeding specimen of nominate. Eight subspecies tentatively recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- saturatior Reichenow, 1904 - Nigeria (Jos Plateau), and DRCongo E to Uganda and W & SW Tanzania, S to Angola (except NW & S), N Zambia and Malawi.
- williamsi Clancey, 1952 - S Kenya and N Tanzania.
- spleniata (Strickland, 1853) - SW Angola and NW Namibia.
- saturatior Reichenow, 1904 - Nigeria (Jos Plateau), and DRCongo E to Uganda and W & SW Tanzania, S to Angola (except NW & S), N Zambia and Malawi.
- williamsi Clancey, 1952 - S Kenya and N Tanzania.
- spleniata (Strickland, 1853) - SW Angola and NW Namibia.
- fulvida Clancey, 1978 - S Angola, S Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- alluvia Clancey, 1971 - breeds coastal S Mozambique; disperses inland to N Botswana.
- millardi Paterson, 1958 - S Botswana.
- cinerea (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) - S Namibia and W South Africa.
- niveni (Macdonald, 1952) - E South Africa.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird standing on bare ground Locality Nata, Central District, Botswana (ssp saturatior)
Keith Blomerley 5 January 2007 4 years ago 18 sec 3.7 -
A bird feeding on the ground and flying away Locality Nairobi, Kenya (ssp williamsi)
Josep del Hoyo 22 November 2005 6 years ago 22 sec 3.5 -
A bird drinking in a pond Locality Puffodder, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa (ssp niveni)
Helmut Schenkel Brunner 31 December 2000 4 years ago 11 sec 3.4 -
An adult on a rock Locality Etosha National Park, Kunene Region, Namibia (ssp spleniata)
Christian Boix Hinzen 28 February 2003 7 years ago 6 sec 2.4
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Adult
Locality Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti, Tanzania
Martin Hale 26 July 2011 2 weeks ago ADDED LAST MONTH 4 -
a bird on the ground
Locality Amboseli National Park, Kenya (ssp saturatior)
Stefan Helming 28 December 2009 2 years ago 3.7 -
An adult standing on the ground.
Locality Bredasdorp, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp cinerea)
Carmelo López 22 November 2010 1 year ago 3.5 -
A bird on the ground
Locality Etosha National Park, Kunene Region, Namibia
Aleix Comas 26 August 2007 2 years ago 3 -
Feeding in a cereal field
Locality Swellendam, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Pete George 23 September 2009 1 year ago 2.2
- No sound recordings available yet
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