Somali Short-toed Lark
Calandrella somalica
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyAlaudidae (Larks)
- GenusCalandrella (Calandrella Short-toed Larks)
- SpeciesCalandrella somalica (Somali Short-toed Lark)
About the Somali Short-toed Lark
The Somali short-toed lark (Alaudala somalica) is a small passerine bird of the lark family found in eastern and north-eastern Africa. The habitat of the Somali short-toed lark is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The Somali short-toed lark was formally described in 1895 by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe based on a specimen collected on the Haud plateau of Somalia by the American explorer Arthur Donaldson Smith. Sharpe coined the binomial name Alaudala somalica. The Somali short-toed lark was formerly sometimes treated as a subspecies of the Mediterranean short-toed lark (Alaudala rufescens). The Athi short-toed lark was formerly treated as a subspecies.
Four subspecies are recognised: A. s. perconfusa (White, CMN, 1960) – northwest Somalia A. s. somalica Sharpe, 1895 – east Ethiopia and north Somalia A. s. megaensis (Benson, 1946) – south Ethiopia to central Kenya A. s. athensis Sharpe, 1900 - southern Kenya and northern Tanzania Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Somali Short-toed Lark in Nairobi National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nairobi National Park
Red-capped Lark
Calandrella cinerea
Fischer's Sparrow-Lark
Eremopterix leucopareia
Fawn-colored Lark
Calendulauda africanoides
Short-tailed Lark
Pseudalaemon fremantlii
White-tailed Lark
Mirafra albicauda
Australasian Bushlark
Mirafra javanica
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Long-tailed Fiscal
Lanius cabanisi
Superb Starling
Lamprotornis superbus
Red-billed Oxpecker
Buphagus erythrorhynchus
Kenya Rufous Sparrow
Passer rufocinctus
Northern Pied-Babbler
Turdoides hypoleuca
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Somali Short-toed Lark in Nairobi National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Short-toed Lark sighting in Nairobi National Park, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Somali Short-toed Lark in Nairobi National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Somali Short-toed Lark in Nairobi National Park in our monthly data.