The foxy lark or Abyssinian lark (''Calendulauda alopex'') 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 occu ...

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 occu ...

. It is found in east-central Africa.

Taxonomy and systematics

Formerly, the foxy lark was classified as belonging to the genus ''

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'' in 2009. Not all authorities recognize this re-classification. Alternate names for the foxy lark include the Abyssinian fawn-colored lark and Somali fawn-coloured bush lark. Clements has merged this bird with the

fawn-colored lark The fawn-coloured lark (''Calendulauda africanoides'') or fawn-coloured bush-lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in south-central Africa. Taxonomy and systematics Formerly, the fawn-coloured lark was classified as belo ...

Subspecies

Two

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: * Masai fawn-coloured lark or Hewitt's clapper lark (''C. a. intercedens'') - (

Reichenow Anton Reichenow (1 August 1847 in Charlottenburg – 6 July 1941 in Hamburg) was a German ornithologist and herpetologist. Reichenow was the son-in-law of Jean Cabanis, and worked at the Natural History Museum of Berlin from 1874 to 1921. He was ...

, 1895): Originally described as a separate species in the genus ''

''. Found from eastern and southern Ethiopia and western Somalia to eastern Uganda, Kenya and northern Tanzania. * ''C. a. alopex'' - ( Sharpe, 1890): Found in extreme eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia

Distribution and habitat

The foxy lark has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000-1,000,000 km², where it is found in dense, thorny scrubland.

References

External links

Abyssinian lark song
ref>Note: Foxy lark song was recorded in Olongosai, Kenya on April 29, 2008 - xeno-canto

foxy lark The foxy lark or Abyssinian lark (''Calendulauda alopex'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in east-central Africa. Taxonomy and systematics Formerly, the foxy lark was classified as belonging to the genus ''Mirafra'' un ...

Birds of East Africa

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Alaudidae-stub