Certhilauda

Certhilauda is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae living in the southern regions of Africa. The genus was formerly named Heterocorys.

Certhilauda
An Eastern long-billed lark (C. semitorquata) in South Africa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Certhilauda Swainson, 1827
Type species
Alauda curvirostris Hermann, 1783
Species
6, see text
Range of the genus

Taxonomy

The genus Certhilauda was introduced in 1827 by the English zoologist William Swainson. He specified the type species as "L'Alouette Sirli" of the French naturalist François Levaillant. This is Alauda curvirostris, the Cape long-billed lark, described by the French naturalist Johann Hermann in 1783.^[1][2][3] The genus name is a portmanteau of the genera Certhia for treecreepers and Alauda for the larks, both of which were introduced in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus.^[4]

Extant species

The genus contains five species:^[5]

• Short-clawed lark (Certhilauda chuana)
• Karoo long-billed lark (Certhilauda subcoronata)
• Benguela long-billed lark (Certhilauda benguelensis)
• Eastern long-billed lark (Certhilauda semitorquata)
• Cape long-billed lark (Certhilauda curvirostris) (includes the Agulhas long-billed lark)

Former species

Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species or subspecies as belonging to the genus Certhilauda, including:

• Greater hoopoe-lark (as the bifasciated lark, Certhilauda desertorum)^[6]
• Eastern greater hoopoe-lark (as Certhilauda doriae)^[7]
• Spike-heeled lark (as Certhilauda albofasciata)^[8]
• Spike-heeled lark (kalahariae) (as Certhilauda kalahariae)^[9]
• Spike-heeled lark (garrula) (as Certhilauda garrula)^[10]
• Rufous-rumped lark (as Certhilauda erythropygia)^[11]
• Karoo lark (as Certhilauda albescens)^[12]
• Red lark (as Certhilauda burra, Certhilauda erythroclamys or Certhilauda harei)^[13]
• Dune lark (as Certhilauda erythrochlamys)^[14]
• Barlow's lark (as Certhilauda barlowi)^[15]
• Somali lark (as Certhilauda somalica)^[16]