Harman Patil (Editor)

Melanocorypha

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Kingdom
  
Scientific name
  
Melanocorypha

Higher classification
  
Lark

Order
  
Passerine

Family
  
Alaudidae

Phylum
  
Chordata

Rank
  
Genus

Melanocorypha wwwhbwcomsitesdefaultfilesstyleslargeapub

Lower classifications
  
Calandra lark, Bimaculated lark, Black lark, White‑winged lark, Mongolian lark

Calandra lark melanocorypha calandra


Melanocorypha is a small genus of birds in the lark family. The current genus name, Melanocorypha is from Ancient Greek melas, "black", and koruphos a term used by ancient writer for a now unknown bird, but here confused with korudos, "lark".

Contents

Calandra lark melanocorypha calandra cyprus


Taxonomy and systematics

Established by Friedrich Boie in 1828, the genus Melanocorypha has five extant and at least three extinct species.

Extant species

There are five species recognized in the genus:

  • Bimaculated lark (Melanocorypha bimaculata)
  • Calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra)
  • Black lark (Melanocorypha yeltoniensis)
  • Mongolian lark (Melanocorypha mongolica)
  • Tibetan lark (Melanocorypha maxima)
  • Extinct species

    There is at least three fossil species included in this genus:

  • Melanocorypha serdicensis (late Miocene from Hrabarsko, Bulgaria)
  • Melanocorypha donchevi (late Pliocene from Varshets, Bulgaria)
  • Melanocorypha minor (Pliocene of Beremend, Hungary)
  • Former species

    Formerly, some authorities classified the following species as belonging to the genus Melanocorypha:

  • Thick-billed lark (as Melanocorypha clot-bey)
  • Bar-tailed lark (as Melanocorypha cinctura)
  • White-winged lark (as Melanocorypha leucoptera or Melanocorypha sibirica)
  • Description

    Melanocorypha larks are large, robust birds, 16.5–20 cm long with strong thick bills. Some have the typically undistinguished lark plumage, mainly streaked greyish-brown above and white below, but the, black and white-winged larks have distinctive male plumages. Several species have large black patches on the breast sides.

    In flight they show broad wings and a shortish tail. The songs of most species are like that of the skylark.

    Distribution and habitat

    The members of Melanocorypha occur mainly in temperate Asia from Turkey through central Asia to China, but the calandra lark also has an extensive European distribution around the Mediterranean. These larks are mostly partially migratory, moving relatively short distances from the coldest parts of their ranges. Several species are very rare vagrants to western Europe.

    These are birds of open cultivation, steppe or semi-desert. They nest on the ground and the young are precocial. The food is seeds supplemented with insects especially in the breeding season. They are gregarious outside the breeding season.

    References

    Melanocorypha Wikipedia


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