Alauda Explained

Alauda is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are known from the fossil record. The current genus name is from Latin alauda, "lark". Pliny the Elder thought the word was originally of Celtic origin.^[1]

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Alauda was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.^[2] The type species was subsequently designated as the Eurasian skylark.^[3]

The genus Alauda has four extant and at least two extinct species. Formerly, many other species have also been considered to belong to the genus.

Extant species

The genus contains four species:^[4]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Alauda leucoptera		southern Ukraine through Kazakhstan to south-central Russia
	Alauda razae	Raso lark	Raso islet in the Cape Verde Islands
	Alauda gulgula		southern, central and eastern Asia
	Alauda arvensis		across Europe and Asia

Extinct species

• †Alauda xerarvensis (late Pliocene of Varshets, Bulgaria)^[5]
• †Alauda tivadari (late Miocene of Polgardi, Hungary)^[6]

Former species

Previously, some authorities also classified the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Alauda:

• Greater hoopoe-lark (desertorum) (as Alauda desertorum)^[7]
• Gray's lark (as Alauda grayi)^[8]
• Short-clawed lark (as Alauda chuana)^[9]
• Cape long-billed lark (as Alauda curvirostris)^[10]
• Dusky lark (as Alauda nigricans)^[11]
• Rufous-rumped lark (as Alauda erythropygia)^[12]
• Desert lark (as Alauda deserti)^[13]
• Middle East desert lark (as Alauda isabellina)^[14]
• Bar-tailed lark (arenicolor) (as Alauda arenicolor)^[15]
• Senegal chestnut-backed finch-lark (as Alauda melanocephala)^[16]
• Ashy-crowned sparrow-lark (as Alauda grisea)^[17]
• Congo Sabota lark (as Alauda plebeja)^[18]
• Bradfield's lark (as Alauda naevia)^[19]
• Pink-breasted lark (as Alauda poecilosterna)^[20]
• Karoo lark (as Alauda albescens)^[21]
• Karoo lark (codea) (as Alauda codea)^[22]
• Karoo lark (guttata) (as Alauda guttata)^[23]
• Dune lark (as Alauda erythrochlamys)^[24]
• Eastern clapper lark (as Alauda fasciolata)^[25]
• Cape clapper lark (as Alauda apiata)^[26]
• Woodlark (as Alauda arborea)^[27]
• Botha's lark (as Alauda fringillaris)^[28]
• Pink-billed lark (as Alauda conirostris)^[29]
• Sykes's lark (as Alauda Deva)^[30]
• Large-billed lark (as A. magnirostris)^[31]
• Crested lark (as Alauda cristata)^[32]
• Senegal crested lark (as Alauda senegallensis)^[33]
• Crested lark (leautungensis) (as Alauda leautungensis)^[34]
• Indian crested lark (as Alauda Chendoola)^[35]
• Malabar lark (as Alauda malabarica)^[36]
• Horned lark (as Alauda alpestris)^[37]
• Mexican horned lark (as Alauda chrysolaema)^[38]
• Shore lark (as Alauda flava)^[39]
• Southern horned lark (as Alauda Penicillata)^[40]
• Temminck's lark (as Alauda bilopha)^[41]
• Mongolian short-toed lark (as Alauda Dukhunensis)^[42]
• Red-capped lark (as Alauda cinerea)^[43]
• Red-capped lark (spleniata) (as Alauda spleniata)^[44]
• Greater short-toed lark (as Alauda brachydactila)^[45]
• Steppe greater short-toed lark (as Alauda longipennis)^[46]
• Bimaculated lark (as Alauda bimaculata)^[47]
• Calandra lark (as Alauda calandra)^[48]
• Black lark (as Alauda yeltoniensis)^[49]
• Mongolian lark (as Alauda mongolica)^[50]
• Dupont's lark (as Alauda Duponti)^[51]
• Mediterranean short-toed lark (as Alauda rufescens)^[52]
• Sand lark (as Alauda raytal)^[53]

Notes and References

1. Book: Jobling, James A . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 37.
2. Book: Linnaeus, Carl . Carl Linnaeus . 1758 . Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis . 1. 10th . 165 . Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii . la .
3. Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Greenway . James C. Jr . 1960 . Check-list of Birds of the World . 9 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 65 .
4. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . 2018 . Nicators, reedling, larks . World Bird List Version 8.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 15 July 2018 .
5. Boev, Z. 2012. Neogene Larks (Aves: Alaudidae (Vigors, 1825)) from Bulgaria - Acta zoologica bulgarica, 64 (3), 2012: 295-318.
6. Kessler, E. 2013. Neogene songbirds (Aves, Passeriformes) from Hungary. – Hantkeniana, Budapest, 2013, 8: 37-149.
7. Web site: Alaemon alaudipes desertorum - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-21.
8. Web site: Ammomanopsis grayi - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-21.
9. Web site: Certhilauda chuana - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-17.
10. Web site: Certhilauda curvirostris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-18.
11. Web site: Pinarocorys nigricans - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-17.
12. Web site: Pinarocorys erythropygia - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-11.
13. Web site: Ammomanes deserti - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-18.
14. Web site: Ammomanes deserti isabellina - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
15. Web site: Ammomanes cinctura arenicolor - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
16. Web site: Eremopterix leucotis melanocephalus - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
17. Web site: Eremopterix griseus - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-18.
18. Web site: Calendulauda sabota plebeja - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
19. Web site: Calendulauda naevia - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
20. Web site: Calendulauda poecilosterna - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-17.
21. Web site: Calendulauda albescens - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-18.
22. Web site: Calendulauda albescens codea - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
23. Web site: Calendulauda albescens guttata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
24. Web site: Calendulauda erythrochlamys - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-19.
25. Web site: Mirafra fasciolata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-22.
26. Web site: Mirafra apiata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
27. Web site: Lullula arborea - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-11-30.
28. Web site: Spizocorys fringillaris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-04.
29. Web site: Spizocorys conirostris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-04.
30. Web site: Galerida deva - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-18.
31. Web site: Galerida magnirostris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-07.
32. Web site: Galerida cristata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-08.
33. Web site: Galerida cristata senegallensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
34. Web site: Galerida cristata leautungensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
35. Web site: Galerida cristata chendoola - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-18.
36. Web site: Galerida malabarica - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-08.
37. Web site: Eremophila alpestris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-18.
38. Web site: Eremophila alpestris chrysolaema - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-18.
39. Web site: Eremophila alpestris flava - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-18.
40. Web site: Eremophila alpestris penicillata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-18.
41. Web site: Eremophila bilopha - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-11.
42. Web site: Calandrella dukhunensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-12.
43. Web site: Calandrella cinerea - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-12.
44. Web site: Calandrella cinerea spleniata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
45. Web site: Calandrella brachydactyla - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-13.
46. Web site: Calandrella brachydactyla longipennis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
47. Web site: Melanocorypha bimaculata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
48. Web site: Melanocorypha calandra - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-15.
49. Web site: Melanocorypha yeltoniensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-15.
50. Web site: Melanocorypha mongolica - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-15.
51. Web site: Chersophilus duponti - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
52. Web site: Alaudala rufescens - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-20.
53. Web site: Alaudala raytal - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-20.