Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Creature Feature #409: Lark

Larks are small-to-medium-sized passerines, characterised by their relatively dull, cryptic colouration and trilling song. Terrestrial in nature, Larks spend much of their time foraging in the grass for seeds and occasionally insects. His rear claw is longer than that of most birds, increasing his stability. To defend his territory, the male Lark soars directly upwards in a display flight, trilling his melodious call.

This fellow is a Sidamo Lark, a species with a very restricted range within Ethiopa (about 36 square kms) and under heavy threat from agriculture. Due to nest predation of the females, the population is heavily skewed towards males. It is classified as critically endangered, with probably less than 256 adult birds surviving.

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