Flappet lark
The flappet lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae that is widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa. The name flappet originates from the distinctive wing flapping sound made during its breeding season.
The flappet lark and the Cape clapper lark are regarded as forming a superspecies with the Eastern clapper lark. The alternate name "cinnamon bush lark" is also an alternate name for the singing bush lark.
The flappet lark was formerly placed in the genus Mirafra. It is one of three species that were moved to the resurrected genus Amirafra based on the results of a large molecular genetic study by the Swedish ornithologist Per Alström and collaborators that was published in 2023.
Subspecies
Fifteen subspecies are recognised:A. r. buckleyi – south Mauritania and Senegal to north CameroonA. r. serlei – southeast NigeriaA. r. tigrina – east Cameroon to north DR CongoA. r. furensis – central west SudanA. r. sobatensis – central SudanA. r. rufocinnamomea – northwest, central EthiopiaA. r. omoensis – southwest EthiopiaA. r. torrida – southeast Sudan and south Ethiopia to north Uganda, central Kenya and central TanzaniaA. r. kawirondensis – east DR Congo, west Uganda and west KenyaA. r. fischeri – Angola, south DR Congo, north Zambia and north Mozambique north through east Tanzania, east Kenya to south SomaliaA. r. schoutedeni – Gabon and Central African Republic to west DR Congo and northwest AngolaA. r. lwenarum – northwest ZambiaA. r. smithersi – north Zambia, Zimbabwe, northeast Botswana and north South AfricaA. r. pintoi – south Mozambique, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and northeast South AfricaA. r. mababiensis – west Zambia to central Botswana
Distribution and habitat
The flappet lark has a large range covering much of the African continent with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km2. Its natural habitats are dry savannah, moist savannah, and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.