Calandrella

Calandrella is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae.

Calandrella
Greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Calandrella Kaup, 1829
Type species
Alauda brachydactyla Leisler, 1814
Species
see text
Synonyms
Tephrocorys

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Calandrella was established by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829 with the greater short-toed lark as the type species.^[1] The genus name is a diminutive of Ancient Greek kalandros, the calandra lark.^[2] Four of the species in the genus use the shortened name of short-toed lark as an alternate name.

Extant species

Six species are recognized in the genus:^[3]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Calandrella acutirostris	Hume's short-toed lark	from Iran and Kazakhstan to China.
	Calandrella dukhunensis	Mongolian short-toed lark	China and Mongolia
	Calandrella blanfordi	Blanford's lark	northeast Africa and Arabia
	Calandrella eremica	Rufous-capped lark	southwestern Arabia and Somaliland.
	Calandrella cinerea	Red-capped lark	Ethiopia and Somaliland
	Calandrella brachydactyla	Greater short-toed lark	southern edge of the Sahara and India

Extinct species

At least one fossil species is included in this genus:

• †Calandrella gali (late Miocene of Polgardi, Hungary)^[4]

Former species

Some authorities have classified the following species as belonging to the genus Calandrella:

• Buckley's lark (as Calandrella buckleyi)^[5]
• Obbia lark (as Calandrella obbiensis)^[6]
• Sclater's lark (as Calandrella sclateri)^[7]
• Stark's lark (as Calandrella starki)^[8]
• Masked lark (as Calandrella personata)^[9]
• Botha's lark (as Calandrella fringillaris)^[10]
• Pink-billed Lark (as Calandrella conirostris)^[11]
• Raso lark (as Calandrella razae)^[12]
• Athi short-toed lark (as Calandrella athensis)^[13]
• Asian short-toed lark (as Calandrella cheleensis)^[14]
• Kazakhstan lesser short-toed lark (as Calandrella leucophaea)^[15]
• Somali short-toed lark (as Calandrella somalica)^[16]
• Sand lark (as Calandrella raytal)^[17]