The Cape long-billed lark (''Certhilauda curvirostris''), also known as the Cape lark, Cape longbill or long-billed lark is a species of

lark Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occ ...

in the family

Alaudidae Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occ ...

. It is found in south-western Africa. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are semi-arid Karoo shrub and subtropical dry

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

and subtropical or dry lowland and highveld

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

. This lark is also found in croplands, farmlands and coastal

fynbos Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...

Taxonomy

The Cape long-billed lark was

formally described A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differ ...

in 1783 by the French naturalist

Johann Hermann Johann, or Jean-Frederic, Hermann, or Herrmann, (31 December 1738 in Barr, Alsace – 4 October 1800 in Strasbourg) was a French physician and naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi ...

under the

binomial name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, altho ...

''Alauda curvirostris''. The specific epithet combines the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''curvus'' meaning "curved" or "bent" with ''-rostris'' meaning "-billed", from ''rostrum'' meaning "beak". Hermann based his account of "Le Sirli" from the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...

area of South Africa that had been described in 1778 by the French polymath, the

Comte de Buffon Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (; 7 September 1707 – 16 April 1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, and cosmologist. He held the position of ''intendant'' (director) at the ''Jardin du Roi'', now called the Jardin des plant ...

in his book ''Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux''. An engraving by

François-Nicolas Martinet François-Nicolas Martinet (1731 - c. 1800) was a French engineer, engraver and naturalist. Although trained as an engineer and draftsman, he began to produce engravings for books and it later became his primary profession. Martinet's year of b ...

was published to accompany Buffon's account. The Cape long-billed lark is now one of five larks placed in the genus ''

Certhilauda ''Certhilauda'' is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae living in the southern regions of Africa. The genus was formerly named ''Heterocorys''. Taxonomy The genus ''Certhilauda'' was introduced in 1827 by the English zoologist William Swains ...

'' that was introduced in 1827 by the English zoologist

William Swainson William Swainson Fellow of the Linnean Society, FLS, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (8 October 1789 – 6 December 1855), was an English ornithologist, Malacology, malacologist, Conchology, conchologist, entomologist and artist. Life Swains ...

. Three

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

are recognised: * ''C. c. falcirostris''

Reichenow Anton Reichenow (1 August 1847 in Charlottenburg – 6 July 1941 in Hamburg) was a German ornithologist and herpetologist. Reichenow was the son-in-law of Jean Cabanis, and worked at the Natural History Museum of Berlin from 1874 to 1921. He was ...

, 1916 – southwest Namibia to west South Africa * ''C. c. curvirostris'' ( Hermann, 1783) – southwest South Africa * ''C. c. brevirostris'' Roberts, 1941 – south South Africa (Agulhas long-billed lark) The subspecies ''C. c. brevirostris'' has sometimes been treated as a separate species, the Agulhas long-billed lark. Additionally, some authorities consider several other species to be either presently or formerly as subspecies of the Cape long-billed lark: * Karoo long-billed lark (as ''C. c. damarensis'', ''C. c. bradshawi'', ''C. c. subcoronata'' and ''C. c. gilli''). *

Benguela long-billed lark The Benguela long-billed lark (''Certhilauda benguelensis''), also known as the Benguela lark or Benguela longbill is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in south-western Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical d ...

(as ''C. c. benguelensis'') *

Eastern long-billed lark The eastern long-billed lark (''Certhilauda semitorquata''), also known as the Kaffrarian long-billed lark or Eastern longbill is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in south-eastern Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical ...

(as ''C. c. semitorquata'').

References

External links

Image and Classification at Animal Diversity Web
* Cape long-billed lark
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds

Cape long-billed lark The Cape long-billed lark (''Certhilauda curvirostris''), also known as the Cape lark, Cape longbill or long-billed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in south-western Africa. Its natural habitats are semi-arid Karoo s ...

Fauna of South Africa

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Alaudidae-stub