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Calendulauda barlowi (Barlow's lark)
Barlowse lewerik
[Afrikaans]; Alouette de Barlow [French]
Life
> Eukaryotes >
Opisthokonta
> Metazoa (animals) >
Bilateria >
Deuterostomia > Chordata >
Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates) > Gnathostomata (jawed
vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class:
Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned
fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial
vertebrates) > Tetrapoda
(four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota >
Reptilia (reptiles) >
Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria >
Dinosauria
(dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) >
Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves
(birds) > Order: Passeriformes
> Family: Alaudidae
> Genus: Calendulauda
Distribution and habitat
Endemic to southern Africa, only occurring along the
coastal plain from Lüderitz, Namibia to Port Nolloth and Sendelingdrift,
Northern Cape, South Africa. It generally prefers sparsely vegetated shrubland
on plains on well-grassed dunes, especially with the succulent shrub
Euphorbia gummifera.
Food
It eats invertebrates and seeds, doing most of its foraging
on the ground, at the bases of shrubs and around stones. The following food items have been recorded
in its diet:
- Invertebrates
- Seeds
- Dimorphotheca polyptera (Weather prophet)
- Galenia (bloubrakbossie)
- Tribulus terrestris (Dubbeltjie)
- Fabaceae (legumes)
Breeding
- The nest is a cup placed in a scrape in the ground beneath a bush or grass
tuft, with a dome that is woven into the leaves of overhanging foliage.
- There are only descriptions of nests, each with 2 eggs which were
probably laid in the months from August-September.
- Fledglings are known to remain dependent on their parents some time
after leaving the nest.
Threats
Not threatened. although its range is restricted, so
destruction or disruption is cause for concern.
References
-
Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts
- Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker
Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.
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