Fischer's sparrow-lark (''Eremopterix leucopareia'') or Fischer's finch-lark is a species of

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

bird 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 from central Kenya to eastern Zambia, Malawi and north-western Mozambique. 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 ...

is subtropical or tropical dry lowland

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 inconspicuous dull-coloured bird somewhat resembles a finch. It can be distinguished from the similar

chestnut-headed sparrow-lark The chestnut-headed sparrow-lark (''Eremopterix signatus'') or chestnut-headed finch-lark is a species of passerine bird in the family Alaudidae. It is found in eastern and north-eastern Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dr ...

by the absence of a white patch on the crown of its head. It is found on short grass plains where it congregates in large flocks except during the breeding season. The common name of the bird commemorates the German explorer

Gustav Fischer Gustav Fischer may refer to: * Gustav Fischer (explorer) (1848–1886), German explorer of Africa * Gustav Fischer (equestrian) Gustav Fischer (8 November 1915 – 22 November 1990) was a Switzerland, Swiss Equestrian at the Summer Olympics, ...

References

External links

Images and classification at the Animal Diversity Web
Fischer's sparrow-lark Birds of East Africa Fischer's sparrow-lark Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Alaudidae-stub