Red-winged lark

Red-winged lark
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Corypha
Species:
C. hypermetra
Binomial name
Corypha hypermetra
(Reichenow, 1879)
Subspecies

See text

     resident range
Synonyms
  • Spilocorydon hypermetrus

The red-winged lark (Corypha hypermetra) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in eastern Africa. It was formerly treated as conspecific with the Kidepo lark.

Taxonomy and systematics

The red-winged larkx was formerly placed in the genus Mirafra. It is one of several species that were moved to the resurrected genus Corypha based on the results of a large molecular genetic study by the Swedish ornithologist Per Alström and collaborators that was published in 2023.[2][3]

The red-winged lark is taken to form a species complex with the allopatric[4] rufous-naped lark, and perhaps with the Somali lark. The name "red-winged lark" is sometimes used as an alternate name for the Indian bush lark. The alternate names red-winged bush lark and rufous-winged bush lark may also be used to describe the Indian bush lark or the Bengal bush lark respectively.[5][6]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized:[2]

  • C. h. gallarum (Hartert, EJO, 1907) – Ethiopia
  • C. h. hypermetra (Reichenow, 1879) – south Somalia to northeast Tanzania

This species and the Kidepo lark (Corypha kidepoensis) were formerly treated as conspecific. The Kidepo lark was elevated to species status based on results of a comprehensive integrated study of the genus Corypha that was published in 2024.[2][7]

Description

Rufous-naped (left) and Red-winged larks by Henrik Grønvold

It is a larger version of the rufous-naped lark, with a more robust bill and longer tail,[8] but their morphological and vocal features do not intergrade where they occur together.[9]

Distribution and habitat

It has a patchy but quite extensive range in equatorial eastern Africa. It occurs within Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and its estimated global extent of occurrence is 660,000 km2.[1] Its total population has yet to be quantified, but is believed to be large.[1]

Its natural habitat is savanna[8] in tropical to subtropical dry, open, lowland.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mirafra hypermetra.
  1. ^ a b c BirdLife International (2016). "Mirafra hypermetra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22717038A94518943. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22717038A94518943.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Nicators, Bearded Reedling, larks". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  3. ^ 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" (PDF). Avian Research. 14: 100095. doi:10.1016/j.avrs.2023.100095.
  4. ^ Britton, P. L., ed. (1980). Birds of East Africa: 612. Mirafra africana Smith Rufous-naped Lark KTU 659. Nairobi: EANHS. p. 114.
  5. ^ "Mirafra erythroptera – Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  6. ^ "Mirafra assamica – Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  7. ^ Alström, P.; Mohammadi, Z.; Donald, P.F.; Nymark, M.; Enbody, E.D.; Irestedt, M.; Elisha, E.B.; Ndithia, H.K.; Tieleman, B.I.; Engelbrecht, D.; Olsson, U.; Rancilhac, L.; Stervander, M. (2024). "Integrative taxonomy reveals unrecognised species diversity in African Corypha larks (Aves: Alaudidae)" (PDF). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 200 (4): 1080–1108. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad107.
  8. ^ a b Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2010). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara (2nd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 330. ISBN 9781770076235.
  9. ^ "Rufous-naped Lark (Mirafra africana) - HBW 9, p. 551". Internet Bird Collection. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 29 June 2016.


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