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Difference between revisions of "Sand Lark" - BirdForum Opus

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;Calandrella raytal
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'''Alternative name: Indian Short-toed Lark'''
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[[Image:Indian_Short-toed_Lark.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Seyed Babak Mus]]
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[[Image:Indian_Short-toed_Lark.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Seyed+Babak+Mus|Seyed Babak Mus}}<br />Near the shore in Soorgalm Creek, [[Iran]]<!--EDITORS: This picture does not appear in the Gallery-->]]
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;[[:Category:Alaudala|Alaudala]] raytal
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''Calandrella raytal''
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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Location:  near to shore in Soorgalm creek
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12–13 cm (4¾-5 in)
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==Identification==
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*Greyish sandy overall plumage
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The Sand Lark, also known as India Short-toed Lark or Indian Sand Lark [3] (Calandrella raytal), is a small passerine bird in the lark (Alaudidae) family. Slightly smaller than the sparrow (ca. 13cm), the Sand Lark is greyish sandy, with dark brown streaks, from above, while the belly is white, sparsely and indistinctly dark-streaked on the sides. Supercilium and cheeks are white. Shortish black and white tail. Sexes alike.
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*Dark brown streaks
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*White underparts, sparsely and indistinctly dark-streaked on the flanks
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*Greyish-white [[Topography#Heads|supercilium]]
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*White cheeks
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*Long slender bill
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*Shortish tail
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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It is found east of Jammu, through Haryana, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal terai and plains, Bihar, northern West Bengal, Bhutan foothills, Brahmaputra valley in Assam, and in Bangladesh, extending into Myanmar along the rivers such as the lower Irrawady and Chindwin. Also Madhya Pradesh south to Hoshangabad and Mhow.
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[[Image:DSC04933.JPG|thumb|450px|right|Photo by {{user|Shantilal+Varu|Shantilal Varu}}<br />Kutch, Gujarat, [[India]], June 2014]]
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[[Middle East]] and [[Asia]]:<br />
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'''Middle East''': occurs only in [[Iran]]<br />
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'''Asia''': [[Tibet]], [[Nepal]]<br />
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'''South Asia''': [[Pakistan]], [[India]], Eastern and Western [[Himalayas]]<br />
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'''Southeast Asia''': [[Indochina]] and [[Myanmar]]
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
  
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====Subspecies====
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[[Image:DSC04186.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Displaying<br />Photo by {{user|Shantilal+Varu|Shantilal Varu}}<br />Bhavnagar, Gujarat, [[India]], April 2014]]
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There are 3 subecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
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*''A. r. raytal'':
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:*Coastal south-eastern [[Iran]] to [[Afghanistan]], northern [[India]] and southern [[Myanmar]]
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*''A. r. krishnakumarsinhji'':
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:*North West India (Kathiawar Peninsula)
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*''A. r. adamsi'':
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:*Coastal north-western India
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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Salt pans, river banks, and river islets, sandy coastal areas.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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Keeps singly or in scattered twos or threes; in non-breeding season in small flocks of upto 20 or 30. Runs about feeding on bare sandy flats in the characteristic zigzag jerky spurts of the family.
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====Diet====
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In breeding season, the male has a distinctive song flight. Soaring aloft about 30m it flies about with intermittent series of wing flaps and pauses while singing, finally shooting down vertically with closed wings and flattening out while a metre or so from the ground before alighting on a clod or stone.
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There is little detail known about their diet, but it is known to consist of seeds, invertebrates and all snails.
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It eats weed, seeds and insects. Nesting Season: February to May.  
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====Breeding====
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Nest: A cup like depression in the ground at the base of a shrub, lined with grass, hair, etc.  
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Nesting Season: February to May. The nest on the ground forming a cup-shaped depression for the eggs; usually at the base of a shrub. It is lined with grass and hair etc. The clutch consists of two or three eggs which have brown freckles on and yellowis or greyish-white background. They, and the young, are cared for by both adults.
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Eggs: 3, sometimes 2. Yellowish or greyish white, freckled with brown.  
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====Vocalisation====
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Both sexes share domestic chores.
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<flashmp3>Sand_Lark.mp3</flashmp3><br />
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''[[Media: Sand_Lark.mp3|Listen in an external program]]''<br />
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Recording by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />
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[[Pong Dam Lake Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary]], [[India]], Jan-2011<br />
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Call given by the bird circling overhead, recorded while sitting in a boat during bird-census.
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug16}}#Avibase
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#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2016)
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#Wikipedia
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{{ref}}
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==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Lark+raytal}}
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<br />
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{{Video|Sand_Lark}}
  
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Alaudala]] [[Category:Videos]] [[Category:Bird Songs]]
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==External Links==
 
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*[http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/data/528/15855ndian-sand-lark.jpg View more images of Indian Short-toed Lark in the gallery]
 
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[[Category:Birds]]
 

Revision as of 16:39, 28 August 2016

Alternative name: Indian Short-toed Lark

Photo by Seyed Babak Mus
Near the shore in Soorgalm Creek, Iran
Alaudala raytal

Calandrella raytal

Identification

12–13 cm (4¾-5 in)

  • Greyish sandy overall plumage
  • Dark brown streaks
  • White underparts, sparsely and indistinctly dark-streaked on the flanks
  • Greyish-white supercilium
  • White cheeks
  • Long slender bill
  • Shortish tail

Distribution

Photo by Shantilal Varu
Kutch, Gujarat, India, June 2014

Middle East and Asia:
Middle East: occurs only in Iran
Asia: Tibet, Nepal
South Asia: Pakistan, India, Eastern and Western Himalayas
Southeast Asia: Indochina and Myanmar

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Displaying
Photo by Shantilal Varu
Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India, April 2014

There are 3 subecies[1]:

  • A. r. raytal:
  • A. r. krishnakumarsinhji:
  • North West India (Kathiawar Peninsula)
  • A. r. adamsi:
  • Coastal north-western India

Habitat

Salt pans, river banks, and river islets, sandy coastal areas.

Behaviour

Diet

There is little detail known about their diet, but it is known to consist of seeds, invertebrates and all snails.

Breeding

Nesting Season: February to May. The nest on the ground forming a cup-shaped depression for the eggs; usually at the base of a shrub. It is lined with grass and hair etc. The clutch consists of two or three eggs which have brown freckles on and yellowis or greyish-white background. They, and the young, are cared for by both adults.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Sand_Lark.mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
Recording by Alok Tewari
Pong Dam Lake Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, India, Jan-2011
Call given by the bird circling overhead, recorded while sitting in a boat during bird-census.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2016)
  4. Wikipedia

Recommended Citation

External Links


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