The flappet lark (''Mirafra rufocinnamomea'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae, widespread across

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

. The name flappet originates from the distinctive wing flapping sound made during its breeding season.

Taxonomy and systematics

The flappet lark and the Cape clapper lark are regarded as forming a superspecies with the Eastern clapper lark. The alternate name "cinnamon bush lark" is also an alternate name for

Horsfield's bush lark Horsfield's bush lark (''Mirafra javanica'') is a species of lark which inhabits grassland throughout most of Australia and much of Southeast Asia. It is named for American naturalist Thomas Horsfield. Taxonomy and systematics The Horsfield's b ...

Subspecies

Fifteen

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: * Buckley's lark or West African cinnamon bush-lark, ''M. r. buckleyi'' ( Shelley, 1873): Originally described as a separate species in the genus '' Calandrella''. Found from southern Mauritania and Senegal to northern Cameroon * ''M. r. serlei'' White, CMN, 1960: Found in south-eastern Nigeria * Ubangi cinnamon lark, ''M. r. tigrina'' Oustalet, 1892: Originally described as a separate species. Found from eastern Cameroon to northern Democratic Republic of Congo * Darfur flappet lark, ''M. r. furensis'' Lynes, 1923: Found in west-central Sudan * Sobat flappet lark, ''M. r. sobatensis'' Lynes, 1914: Originally described as a separate species. Found in central Sudan * ''M. r. rufocinnamomea'' ( Salvadori, 1865): Found in north-western and central Ethiopia * Abyssinian flappet lark, ''M. r. omoensis''

Neumann Neumann is German language, German and Yiddish language, Yiddish for "new man", and one of the List of the most common surnames in Europe#Germany, 20 most common German surnames. People * Von Neumann family, a Jewish Hungarian noble family A� ...

, 1928: Found in south-western Ethiopia * ''M. r. torrida'' Shelley, 1882: Found from south-eastern Sudan and northern Ethiopia to northern Uganda, central Kenya and central Tanzania * Rwenzori flappet lark, ''M. r. kawirondensis'' van Someren, 1921: Found in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, western Uganda and western Kenya * Nyasaland flappet lark, ''M. r. fischeri'' (

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 ...

, 1878): Originally described as a separate species. Found in Angola, southern Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Zambia and northern Mozambique north through eastern Tanzania, eastern Kenya to southern Somalia * ''M. r. schoutedeni'' White, CMN, 1956: Found in Gabon and Central African Republic to western Democratic Republic of Congo and north-western Angola * ''M. r. lwenarum'' White, CMN, 1945: Found in north-western Zambia * ''M. r. smithersi'' White, CMN, 1956: Found in northern Zambia, Zimbabwe, north-eastern Botswana and northern South Africa * ''M. r. pintoi'' White, CMN, 1956: Found in southern Mozambique, Eswatini and north-eastern South Africa * ''M. r. mababiensis'' (

Roberts Roberts may refer to: People * Roberts (given name), a Latvian masculine given name * Roberts (surname), a popular surname, especially among the Welsh Places * Roberts (crater), a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon ;United Stat ...

, 1932): Found in western Zambia to central Botswana

Distribution and habitat

The flappet lark has a large range covering much of the African continent with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km². 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 (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

, moist savannah, 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 ...

References

External links

Species factsheet
- BirdLife International
Species text
- ''The Atlas of Southern African Birds'' flappet lark Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa flapper lark Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Alaudidae-stub