''Mirafra'' is a genus 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 occ ...

. 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 larks (Alaudidae) was reviewed by Alström et al. (2013) who found that the following species form a well supported monophyletic group, which is the sister lineage to Heteromirafra.

Extant species

The genus contains twenty-four species:

Former species

Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus ''Mirafra'', including: *

Short-clawed lark The short-clawed lark (''Certhilauda chuana'') or short-clawed bush-lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Botswana and South Africa. Its natural habitat is dry savannah. Taxonomy and systematics Originally, the shor ...

(as ''Mirafra chuana'') *

Dusky lark The dusky lark (''Pinarocorys nigricans''), also known as the dusky bush lark or rufous-rumped bush lark, is a species of migratory lark in the family Alaudidae. It is native to the southern Afrotropics. Range It is found in southern Central Af ...

(as ''Mirafra nigricans'') *

Rufous-rumped lark The rufous-rumped lark (''Pinarocorys erythropygia'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in western and central Africa from Mali, Guinea and Sierra Leone to eastern Sudan, South Sudan and north-western Uganda. Its natural h ...

(as ''Mirafra erythropygia'' or ''Mirafra nigricans erythropygia'') * Indian desert finch-lark (as ''Mirafra phoenicuroides'') *

Rufous-tailed lark The rufous-tailed lark (''Ammomanes phoenicura''), also sometimes called the rufous-tailed finch-lark, is a ground bird found in the drier open stony habitats of India and parts of Pakistan. Like other species in the genus it has a large finch-li ...

(as ''Mirafra phoenicura'') * Madagascan lark (as ''Mirafra hova'') *

Sabota lark The sabota lark (''Calendulauda sabota'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in southern Africa in its natural habitats of dry savannah, moist savannah, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Taxonomy and systematics ...

(as ''Mirafra sabota'') * Bradfield's lark (as ''Mirafra naevia'') * Pink-breasted lark (as ''Mirafra poecilosterna'') *

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 ...

(as ''Mirafra alopex'') * Masai fawn-coloured lark (as ''Mirafra intercedens'') * Fawn-coloured lark (as ''Mirafra africanoides'') *

Karoo lark ''The Karoo lark should not be confused with the similarly named Karoo long-billed lark.'' The Karoo lark (''Calendulauda albescens'') or red-backed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is endemic to South Africa where its nat ...

(as ''Mirafra albescens'' or ''Mirafra nivosa'') *

Red lark The red lark (''Calendulauda burra''), also known as the ferruginous lark or ferruginous sand-lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in western South Africa and possibly Namibia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tr ...

(as ''Mirafra burra'') *

Dune lark The dune lark (''Calendulauda erythrochlamys'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is endemic to Namibia where its natural habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors ...

(as ''Mirafra erythrochlamys'') *

Barlow's lark Barlow's lark (''Calendulauda barlowi'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Namibia and South Africa where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. Taxonomy and sy ...

(as ''Mirafra erythrochlamys barlowi'') * Rudd's lark (as ''Mirafra ruddi'') *

Archer's lark Archer's lark (''Heteromirafra archeri''), also known as the Liben lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Somalia, Somaliland and Ethiopia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtrop ...

(as ''Mirafra archeri'') * Sidamo lark (as ''Mirafra sidamoensis'') * Ngaundere sun lark (as ''Mirafra strümpelli'') * Uele sun lark (as ''Mirafra bucolica'')

References

Alaudidae Bird genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Alaudidae-stub