The sand lark (''Alaudala raytal'') is a small

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 are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the lark family, Alaudidae, found in southern Asia. It is somewhat similar to, but smaller than the short-toed larks.

Taxonomy and systematics

The sand lark was originally assigned 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 ...

''. It was later placed in the genus '' Calandrella'' until it was moved back to ''Alaudala'' in 2014 although not all authorities have recognized this change yet. The alternate name Asian short-toed lark is usually used to refer to the species of the same name, '' Alaudala cheleensis''. Other alternate names include Ganges sand lark, Indian sand lark and Indian short-toed lark.

Subspecies

Three

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognized: * Indus sand lark (''A. r. adamsi'') - ( Hume, 1871): Found in southeastern Iran, Pakistan, eastern Afghanistan and northwestern India * ''A. r. raytal'' - ( Blyth, 1845): Found from north-central India to southern Myanmar * ''A. r. krishnakumarsinhji'' - ( Vaurie & Dharmakumarsinhji, 1954): Found in west-central India

Description

The sand lark is about long. There is considerable geographic variation and three subspecies are recognized. All subspecies are dull brownish grey with faintly streaked upperparts and appears distinctly short-tailed with a fine bill. The bill length varies geographically short and stubby in the western part and long and fine tipped in the eastern part of its range. Subspecies ''krishnakumarsinhji'' found around Bhavnagar in Gujarat is greyer above with broad dark streaks on the upper plumage and breast. The lores and supercilium are white as is the area under the eye and the entire underside. The whitish breast has fine streaks in the subspecies other than ''krishnakumarsinhji'' and the streaking on the upperparts is faint. The nominate subspecies is found across the Gangetic plains and extends into southern Burma. Subspecies ''adamsi'' of West Asia (Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan) and parts of northwest India is paler. The species name ''raytal'' is derived from the Hindi name of ''retal'' which is derived from ''réth'', the word for sand.

Distribution and habitat

The species is found across the Gangetic plains, the sandy banks of the

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...

Irrawaddy Irrawaddy may refer to: *Irrawaddy River, the main river of Burma *Irrawaddy Delta, a rice growing region of the country *Ayeyarwady Region, an administrative division of Burma *''The Irrawaddy'', a Burmese news publication based in Chiang Mai, Tha ...

and

Chindwin River , , image = Homalin aerial.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = The Chindwin at Homalin. The smaller, meandering Uyu River can be seen joining the Chindwin. , map = Irrawaddyrivermap.jpg , map_size = , map_alt = , map_caption ...

s. It is also found along the Narmada River but is much rarer there. It is found mainly on sandy islands along rivers and nearby fields. They also occur on coastal dunes and dry mud-flats.

Behaviour and ecology

The sand lark is usually found singly, in pairs or in small loose groups. They forage by making sudden zigzag spurts on the sandy banks near water, feeding on insects as well as seeds. The breeding season is February to May. The song is varied and consists of rattling and tinkling notes high in the air followed by a series of dry rattling and whistled notes while descending lower. The flight includes soaring followed by rapid wing flapping and pauses before parachuting down in a series of steps with glides while the wing and tail are held spread out. In the last stage of the descent it dives vertically before perching on a clod. They may also sing while perched on the ground, often with a slightly raised crest. Calls of other birds are also incorporated into the song. The usual call notes is a clear tinkling ''chissip''. The nest is a deep

cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...

placed on the ground in a patch of vegetation on the sand. The usual clutch consists of three greyish white eggs which are speckled in brown.

Gallery

File:Sand Lark Juvenile.jpg, Sand Lark Juvenile at Durgapur Barrage, West Bengal File:Sykes's Lark AMSM6330.jpg, Sand Lark adult at

Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

File:Sand Lark AMSM9648.jpg, Sand Lark with crest raised at