Spike-heeled lark

The spike-heeled lark (Chersomanes albofasciata) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in southern Africa.^[2]

Spike-heeled lark
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Chersomanes
Species:	C. albofasciata
Binomial name
Chersomanes albofasciata (Lafresnaye, 1836)
Subspecies
See text
resident range
Synonyms
Certhilauda albofasciata Chersomanes garrula Chersomanes rufulus

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.^[1]

Taxonomy and systematics

Originally, the spike-heeled lark was considered to belong to the genus Certhilauda (as C. albofasciata).^[3] Alternately, it has been called the rufous long-billed lark.

Subspecies

Presently, ten subspecies are recognized.^[4] Additionally, Beesley's lark was also formerly classified as a subspecies of the spike-heeled lark.^[5]

• Benguella rufous long-billed lark (C. a. obscurata) - Hartert, 1907: Found in south-western and central Angola
• Ovampo rufous long-billed lark (C. a. erikssoni) - (Hartert, 1907): Found in northern Namibia
• C. a. kalahariae - (Ogilvie-Grant, 1912): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Certhilauda. Found in southern and western Botswana, northern South Africa
• C. a. boweni - (Meyer de Schauensee, 1931): Found in north-western Namibia
• Damara rufous long-billed lark (C. a. arenaria) - (Reichenow, 1904): Found in southern Namibia and south-western South Africa
• C. a. barlowi - White, CMN, 1961: Found in eastern Botswana
• C. a. alticola - Roberts, 1932: Found in north-eastern South Africa
• Rufous long-billed lark (C. a. albofasciata) - (Lafresnaye, 1836): Found in south-eastern Botswana to central South Africa
• C. a. garrula - (Smith, A, 1846): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Certhilauda. Found in western South Africa
• C. a. macdonaldi - (Winterbottom, 1958): Found in southern South Africa

Gallery

• 
  A pair in flight
• 
  C. a. erikssoni in Etosha National Park
• 
  C. a. kalahariae in the Kgalagadi T. F. Park