Mirafra

Mirafra
Singing bush lark (Mirafra javanica)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Mirafra Horsfield, 1821
Type species
Mirafra javanica Singing bush lark[1] Horsfield, 1821
global range of genus[2]
Synonyms
Geocoraphus Megalophonus Spilocorydon

Mirafra is a genus of lark in the family Alaudidae. Some Mirafra species are called "larks", while others are called "bush larks". They are all found in Africa except for the singing bush lark that is found through South Asia to Australia.

Taxonomy

The genus Mirafra was introduced in 1821 by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield to accommodate a single species, Mirafra javanica the singing bush lark, which is therefore considered as the type species.[3][4] The derivation of the genus name is unknown.[5]

A 2023 molecular phylogenetic study of the lark family Alaudidae by the Swedish ornithologist Per Alström and his collaborators found that the genus Mirafra contained deep internal genetic divergences. They therefore split Mirafra into four genera, each corresponding to a major clade. Species were moved to Plocealauda, Amirafra and Corypha leaving only seven species remaining in Mirafra.[6][7]

Extant species

The genus contains seven species:[7]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Mirafra passerina	Monotonous lark	southern Africa.
	Mirafra pulpa	Friedmann's lark	East Africa.
	Mirafra cordofanica	Kordofan lark	Mauritania and Senegal to Niger, eastern Chad, southern Sudan and northern South Sudan
	Mirafra williamsi	Williams's lark	northern Kenya
	Mirafra javanica	Singing bush lark	Australia and much of Southeast Asia.
	Mirafra cheniana	Melodious lark	South Africa (Eastern Cape, the Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and North West Province), Botswana and Zimbabwe
	Mirafra albicauda	White-tailed lark	western Chad, eastern Sudan, northeastern South Sudan, south-central Ethiopia, and from Uganda and western Kenya to central Tanzania

Former species

Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Mirafra, including:

• Short-clawed lark (as Mirafra chuana)[8]
• Dusky lark (as Mirafra nigricans)[9]
• Rufous-rumped lark (as Mirafra erythropygia or Mirafra nigricans erythropygia)[10]
• Indian desert finch-lark (as Mirafra phoenicuroides)[11]
• Rufous-tailed lark (as Mirafra phoenicura)[12]
• Madagascan lark (as Mirafra hova)[13]
• Sabota lark (as Mirafra sabota)[14]
• Bradfield's lark (as Mirafra naevia)[15]
• Pink-breasted lark (as Mirafra poecilosterna)[16]
• Foxy lark (as Mirafra alopex)[17]
• Masai fawn-coloured lark (as Mirafra intercedens)[18]
• Fawn-coloured lark (as Mirafra africanoides)[19]
• Karoo lark (as Mirafra albescens or Mirafra nivosa)[20]
• Red lark (as Mirafra burra)[21]
• Dune lark (as Mirafra erythrochlamys)[22]
• Barlow's lark (as Mirafra erythrochlamys barlowi)[23]
• Rudd's lark (as Mirafra ruddi)[24]
• Archer's lark (as Mirafra archeri)[25]
• Sidamo lark (as Mirafra sidamoensis)[26]
• Ngaundere sun lark (as Mirafra strümpelli)[27]
• Uele sun lark (as Mirafra bucolica)[28]

References

1. "Alaudidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
2. Based on maps in the Handbook of the Birds of the World and the BirdLife Datazone
3. Horsfield, Thomas (1821). "Systematic arrangement and description of birds from the island of Java". Transactions of the Linnean Society. 13 (1): 133–200 [159]. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1821.tb00061.x.
4. Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1960). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 9. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 3.
5. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
6. Alström, P.; Mohammadi, Z.; Enbody, E.D.; Irestedt, M.; Engelbrecht, D.; Crochet, P.-A.; Guillaumet, A.; Rancilhac, L.; Tieleman, B.I.; Olsson, U.; Donald, P.F.; Stervander, M. (2023). "Systematics of the avian family Alaudidae using multilocus and genomic data". Avian Research. 14: 100095. Bibcode:2023AvRes..1400095A. doi:10.1016/j.avrs.2023.100095.
7. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Nicators, Bearded Reedling, larks". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
8. "Certhilauda chuana - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
9. "Pinarocorys nigricans - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
10. "Pinarocorys erythropygia - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
11. "Ammomanes deserti phoenicuroides - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
12. "Ammomanes phoenicura - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-17.
13. "Eremopterix hova - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
14. "Calendulauda sabota - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
15. "Calendulauda naevia - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
16. "Calendulauda poecilosterna - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
17. "Calendulauda alopex - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
18. "Calendulauda intercedens - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
19. "Calendulauda africanoides - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
20. "Calendulauda albescens - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
21. "Calendulauda burra - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
22. "Calendulauda erythrochlamys - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
23. "Calendulauda barlowi - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
24. "Heteromirafra ruddi - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
25. "Heteromirafra archeri - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
26. "Heteromirafra sidamoensis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
27. "Galerida modesta struempelli - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
28. "Galerida modesta bucolica - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-06.