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Melodious Lark | Mirafra cheniana
The Melodious Lark is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Alaudidae bird family group which includes birds such as Larks, Sparrowlarks. The description for the Melodious Lark (Latin name Mirafra cheniana) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Mirafra cheniana can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 492 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 861. You will find a picture of the Melodious Lark on page 913. NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any. There have been no changes in the common name between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition. There have been no changes in the Latin name for the Melodious Lark between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition The Melodious Lark is known in Afrikaans as Spotlewerik. The Melodious Lark is Endemic to the Southern African Region which means that this bird is only found in this region and nowhere else in the world. The Melodious Lark has a height of 12 cms and weighs around 20 gms. The head is coloured brown, white while the bill is coloured grey. The Mirafra cheniana has a brown coloured throat, grey legs and a brown, white coloured back. The eyes are brown. Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts. Head is brown, white Eyes are brown Bill is grey Legs are grey Throat is brown Back is brown, white Feeding Habits ...This bird forages for food on the ground This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten . Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...The Melodious Lark is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 2 to 4 eggs and they are coloured white. The bird builds its nest within a tree cavity just a few meters above the ground. The hole in the tree is normally reused in the next nesting season. The bird is mainly found in the Savanna grasslands where it breeds and feeds. Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...The Melodious Lark is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild. |
