The short-clawed lark (''Certhilauda chuana'') or short-clawed bush-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 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 Botswana and South Africa. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and 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 ...

is dry

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

Taxonomy and systematics

Originally, the short-clawed lark was classified as belonging to the genus ''

Alauda ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...

'' and then ''

Mirafra ''Mirafra'' is a genus of lark in the family Alaudidae. Some ''Mirafra'' species are called "larks", while others are called "bush larks". They are found from Africa through South Asia to Australia. Taxonomy and systematics The phylogeny of lark ...

'' until moved to ''Calendulauda''. Not all authorities recognize this re-classification from ''Mirafra''.

Behaviour and ecology

The species lays clutches of two or three eggs (average

clutch size __NOTOC__ A clutch of eggs is the group of eggs produced by birds, amphibians, or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest. In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators (or removal by humans, for example the Califor ...

s in two studies 2.27-2.75 eggs). The incubation lasts for around 15 days, the longest of any African lark species. After

fledging Fledging is the stage in a flying animal's life between hatching or birth and becoming capable of flight. This term is most frequently applied to birds, but is also used for bats. For altricial birds, those that spend more time in vulnerabl ...

, chicks remain with their parents for 6–8 weeks. There is some variation in nesting strategies in the species, with the eastern population (in South Africa) having numerous broods per breeding season and the western population (in Botswana) breeding once per season.

Gallery

File:Certhilauda chuana, Pietersburg, Kellermann, b.jpg, At Polokwane (Pietersburg), South Africa Image:HeterocorysAmmomanesKeulemans.jpg, Illustration by Keulemans of ''C. chuana'' (above) and '' A. grayi'' (below)

References

* Engelbrecht, Derek (2005) "Breeding biology of the eastern population of the Short-clawed Lark in South Africa" ''Ostrich - Journal of African Ornithology'', 76 (3-4_ 154-161

External links

Species text
- ''The Atlas of Southern African Birds'' short-clawed lark short-clawed lark Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Alaudidae-stub