Chestnut-headed Sparrow-lark
Encyclopedia
The chestnut-headed sparrow-lark (Eremopterix signatus) is a species of passerine
bird in the Alaudidae family.
It is found in Ethiopia
, Israel
, Kenya
, Somalia
and Sudan
.
Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland
, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland
, and hot desert
s.
The male chestnut-headed sparrow-lark has a black collar and bib, white cheeks and a white circular area on the nape of the crown, surrounded by a chestnut border. This distinguishes it from Fischer's sparrow-lark
, Eremopterix leucopareia which lacks the white spot. The female has duller plumage.
This bird is usually found in pairs or small flocks of up to forty birds, often around water holes. It flies low to the ground and may sing in flight or when standing on bare ground.
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 in the Alaudidae family.
It is found in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, and hot desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s.
The male chestnut-headed sparrow-lark has a black collar and bib, white cheeks and a white circular area on the nape of the crown, surrounded by a chestnut border. This distinguishes it from Fischer's sparrow-lark
Fischer's Sparrow-lark
The Fischer's sparrow-lark is a species of passerine bird in the Alaudidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia....
, Eremopterix leucopareia which lacks the white spot. The female has duller plumage.
This bird is usually found in pairs or small flocks of up to forty birds, often around water holes. It flies low to the ground and may sing in flight or when standing on bare ground.