The short-tailed lark (''Spizocorys fremantlii'') 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 Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. 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 ...

s are 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 ...

, subtropical or tropical dry

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ...

, and subtropical or tropical dry lowland

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The short-tailed lark was originally placed in the genus ''Calendula'' (which was subsequently renamed to '' Galerida'') and then to the monotypic genus ''

Pseudalaemon The short-tailed lark (''Spizocorys fremantlii'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are dry savannah, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical ...

'' before it was re-classified to ''Spizocorys'' in 2014.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized: * Somali short-tailed lark (''S. f. fremantlii'') - ( Lort Phillips, 1897): Found in south-eastern Ethiopia and Somalia * ''S. f. megaensis'' - ( Benson, 1946): Found in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya * Kenya short-tailed lark (''S. f. delamerei'') - ( Sharpe, 1900): Originally described as a separate species. Found in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania

Behaviour and ecology

Food and feeding

The diet of the short-tailed lark consists mostly of vegetable material.

References

short-tailed lark Birds of East Africa short-tailed lark Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Alaudidae-stub