Agulhas Long-billed Lark
Encyclopedia
The Agulhas Long-billed Lark (Certhilauda brevirostris) is a small passerine
bird
. It is an endemic resident breeder in the Western Cape
, South Africa
. Its restricted range is centred on the Agulhas
arable farmlands, from east of the Hottentots-Holland
mountain range to Mossel Bay
, and occupies a maximum of 15,000 km².
This lark
was formerly considered as a subspecies of Cape Long-billed Lark, Certhilauda curvirostris until it, with three other subspecies, was elevated to species status (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993).
or karoo
scrub. It is endemic to South Africa. However, it appears to have adapted quite well to its modified habitats, like farmlands, although its distribution is patchy for unknown reasons. At present, very little is known about its ecology and breeding requirements. Like other larks, it nests on the ground. Its food is seed
s and insect
s, the latter especially in the breeding season.
The display song of Algulhas Long-billed Lark is a disyllabic whistle seeooo seeeooo.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
. It is an endemic resident breeder in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Its restricted range is centred on the Agulhas
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
arable farmlands, from east of the Hottentots-Holland
Hottentots-Holland
The Hottentots Holland mountain range is part of the Cape Fold Belt in the Western Cape, South Africa. The range forms a barrier between the Cape Town metropolitan area and the southern Overberg coast. The range is primarily composed of Table Mountain Sandstone and forms an impressive range to the...
mountain range to Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay is a harbour town of about 130,000 people on the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province...
, and occupies a maximum of 15,000 km².
This lark
Lark
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
was formerly considered as a subspecies of Cape Long-billed Lark, Certhilauda curvirostris until it, with three other subspecies, was elevated to species status (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993).
Habitat and breeding
The natural habitat of Agulhas Long-billed Lark is uncertain, since most of its range has been converted into stony wheatfields and pasture land, only 30% remaining as coastal fynbosFynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
or karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
scrub. It is endemic to South Africa. However, it appears to have adapted quite well to its modified habitats, like farmlands, although its distribution is patchy for unknown reasons. At present, very little is known about its ecology and breeding requirements. Like other larks, it nests on the ground. Its food is seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, the latter especially in the breeding season.
Identification
The Agulhas Long-billed Lark is 18-20 cm in length. It is long-tailed and has a longish curved bill. It has a streaked buff-grey head and back, and the closed wings are grey. The underparts are cream-coloured with dark streaking on the breast and flanks. Compared to Cape Long-billed Lark, this species more buff and has a shorter tail and bill.The display song of Algulhas Long-billed Lark is a disyllabic whistle seeooo seeeooo.