- Eremopterix australis
Identification
Length 12-13 cm, mass 12-16 g
Adult male: The head, underparts ad underwings are all-black. Feathers of the mantle, back and upper wings are black or blackish brown with rufous edges.
Adult female: Upper parts rufous-brown with darker streaks; under parts whitish with heavy, blackish brown streaking; does not have a dark belly patch. In flight shows black secondaries.
Distribution
Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa: Core population in western South African interior; scattered records in southern Namibia and rare in Botswana and east-central South Africa.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Dry shrubland and dry grassland.
Behaviour
Gregarious; in groups of five to ten when breeding, and flocks of up to several hundred when not breeding. Forages on the ground for seeds (mainly grass seeds) and invertebrates (mainly insects).
Breeding
Monogamous and territorial (although nests may only be a few metres apart). The nest is built by the female in a hollow in the ground; built using plant material, and the edge decorated with sand-encrusted webs of ground-dwelling spiders. One to four eggs are laid; incubated by both parents for 8-12 days. The nestling period is 7-12 days, and chicks can fly after 15-20 days.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Black-eared Sparrow-Lark. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Black-eared_Sparrow-Lark
