The Athi short-toed lark (''Alaudala athensis'') 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 oc ...

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 oc ...

. It is found in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Taxonomy and systematics

The Athi short-toed lark was originally described as belonging to the genus ''

Spizocorys ''Spizocorys'' is a genus of African larks in the family Alaudidae found in southern and eastern Africa. Taxonomy and systematics Extant species The genus contains seven extant species: * Obbia lark (''Spizocorys obbiensis'') * Sclater's lark ...

'' and was then classified as belonging to the genus ''

Calandrella ''Calandrella'' is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae. Taxonomy and systematics The genus ''Calandrella'' was established by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829 with the greater short-toed lark as the type species. The genus ...

'' until moved to ''Alaudala'' in 2014. Formerly or presently, some authorities consider the Athi short-toed lark as a subspecies of the Somali short-toed lark or of the

Mediterranean short-toed lark The Mediterranean short-toed lark (''Alaudala rufescens'') is a small passerine bird found in and around the Mediterranean Basin. It is a common bird with a very wide range from Canary Islands north to the Iberian Peninsula and east throughout N ...

. Alternate names for the Athi short-toed lark include the Athi lark and Kenya short-toed lark (a name also used by the Damara pink-billed lark).

References

Athi short-toed lark Birds of East Africa Athi short-toed lark {{Alaudidae-stub