Short-clawed lark

Certhilauda chuana

Photo by Trevor Hardaker (Trevor and Margareth Hardaker)

Common name:

short-clawed lark (en); cotovia-d’unhas-curtas (pt); alouette à ongles courts (fr); alondra chuana (es); akazien-langschnabellerche (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Alaudidae

Range:

This African species is only found in south-eastern Botswana and north-eastern South Africa.

Size:

These birds are 14-17 cm long and weigh 44 g.

Habitat:

Short-clawed larks are found in dry savannas, preferring semi-arid Acacia savanna with scattered grass clumps and bushes, and large patches of bare ground.

Diet:

They are strictly insectivorous, taking grasshoppers, weevils, Anoplolepis ants, Hodotermes and Macrotermes termites, and caterpillars.

Breeding:

Short-clawed larks breed in September-March. The nest is built solely by the female, consisting of an open cup built of grass and lined with finer plant material. It is typically placed in a scrape in the ground beneath a grass tuft or small shrub. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-12 days after hatching, but remain with their parents for another 4 weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)

This species has a restricted breeding range and a global population estimated at 50.000-100.000 individuals. The population seems to be stable in its core breeding areas, in Botswana, but some declines have been reported in South Africa.