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PLATE 78: LARKS I
Greater Hoopoe-Lark Alaemon alaudipes RB
L: 18.5. Large, slender sandy-buff lark, with long tail, long decurved bill and variable black band
across mostly white inner wing. Underparts whitish, often spotted black on breast. Juvenile with
few breast-spots and shorter, less decurved bill. Runs speedily with sudden stops in upright position;
also creeps away slowly. In characteristic songflight, male ascends vertically a few metres, twists
over and spirals to bush or ground with outstretched wings. Solitary or in pairs, not mixing with
other larks. Voice Song, mostly at sunrise, melodious and melancholy, starting slowly, accelerating
and ascending, then dropping and dying away slowly dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, dee, de-de-de-de-de-
dee-dee; also distinctive weerrp or jeerrp on territory. Habitat Sandy desert, semi-desert, coastal
dunes. Note Some post-breeding dispersal.Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris clotbey V
L: 17. Unmistakable, sandy-grey lark with large head, enormous, swollen pale bill, and bold
black-and-white patterned sides of face and neck; underparts whitish with bold black spots or
streaks. Stance upright; may run at high speed. In flight, long wings show blackish underwing with
broad white band along trailing edge; short tail has dark band near tip. Juvenile lacks black on
head, neck and underparts which are creamy-white; upperparts pinkish-grey; wing pattern as adult.
In low, undulating flight appears long-winged with large rounded head. Voice Song, from ground
and in flight, jingling with some quiet, sweet warbling notes. Flight calls include a quiet peep or co-
ep, a plaintive swee and a soft blit-blit; on landing shrrreeep; on ground woot-w-toot. Habitat Stony
deserts; post-breeding also grassy wadis, rocky slopes and cultivation edge. Note Some dispersal
in winter; vagrant Oman, Yemen.Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti RB
L: 15. Short-tailed with broad, rounded wings and slow, floppy, undulating flight. Unstreaked
above except for vague mottling on mantle in some; underparts buffish or greyish-white, sometimes
unmarked, but often diffusely streaked on breast; rufous flight feathers and underwing in some birds.
Tertials fall clearly short of wing-tip. Longish, stout pointed bill, yellowish-horn with dark culmen,
gently tapering. There is considerable variation in this species, often in response to habitat (darker
birds on black lava soils and paler birds on sandy substrates); many subspecies have been described.
Races in Oman not fully determined, but likely to include taimuri (Hajar mountains), samharensis
and perhaps saturata. The extralimital races illustrated show a range of typical plumages for the
species. Voice Typically short, soft and melodious dee-leeut. Song includes phrases of call, given
from ground or in descending glide. Habitat Arid hills, stony or rocky slopes with sparse vegetation.
Note Some post-breeding dispersal.Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura rb
L: 13. Resembles Desert Lark but smaller, with more upright stance, rounder head, smaller bill,
clear-cut black band to tip of reddish-brown tail, and rufous-buff wings having blackish tips. In
subspecies arenicola (Near East/Arabia) unstreaked upperparts are pale sandy-rufous. Runs faster
than Desert Lark with more abrupt stops. From Dunn’s Lark by much smaller bill, different tail
pattern, unstreaked upperparts and crown, and blackish wing-tip projecting beyond tertials;
also habitat. Voice Song can be mistaken for Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, like swinging pub sign
creaking in wind, 2–3 notes tlee-tloo-hee; also dee-dee-doo. Flight call purring, soft hoarse twer;
also see-oo. Habitat Flat or undulating desert with scattered vegetation and gravelly or stony rises.
Note Some post-breeding dispersal.Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni rb
L: 14. Small, sandy rufous-brown with dark streaks on crown and, vaguely, on mantle; black sides
to sandy-brown tail (white sides in Greater and Lesser Short-toed Larks), and large pinkish bill with
pronounced curve near tip. Long tertials almost reach wing-tip. Broad whitish eye-ring bordered
below by dark line, with a dark moustache and line behind eye. Broad, rounded wings and relatively
short tail in flight. Appears large-headed, with upright stance; runs fast for short distances with
sudden stops. Voice Flight call drawn-out, soft wazz or ziup; also thin liquid prrrp. Habitat Flat sandy
or stony semi-desert with low scrub and grass. Often difficult to find. Note Vagrant UAE. Middle
Eastern populations are sometimes split from African birds as a separate species: Arabian Lark E.
eremodites.