Certhilauda
Certhilauda is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae living in the southern regions of Africa. The genus was formerly named Heterocorys.
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. 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.Extant species
The genus contains five species:- Short-clawed lark
- Karoo long-billed lark
- Benguela long-billed lark
- Eastern long-billed lark
- Cape long-billed lark