Agulhas Long-billed Larks

By Charlie • April 28, 2007 • No comments yet

Agulhas Long-billed Larks Certhilauda brevirostris
South Africa, April 2007

The Agulhas Plains near Malgas (south of Swellendam), Western Cape

The Agulhas Plains (or Overberg) is a fynbos region of incredible floral endemism right at the bottom of Africa that also lays claim to two species of endemic lark: the Agulhas Long-billed Lark and the Agulhas Clapper Lark. Much of the Plains are now used for wheat production and ostrich farming, but both these incredibly restricted larks are still present in reasonable numbers and are fairly easy to see on a day out from Cape Town by driving what Callan Cohen et al describe in the superb “Southern African Birdfinder as the Aghulas Plains Loop. The three birds below were photographed on the Plains Loop on an overcast day about half-way along the gravel road from Buffeljagsrivier (just off the N2 west of Swelledam) to Malgas. The short snatch of song linked to at the bottom of the page was of two Agulhas Long-billed Larks calling from small mounds in the middle of one of the flat, stony fields the road passes.

The taxonomic reasons for the separation of the Agulhas Long-billed Lark (which ironically rejoices in the specific name of brevirostris, which means short-billed: ie it is the Agulhas ’short-billed’ Long-billed Lark) from other “Long-billed Larks” is explained in an article by Peter Ryan and Paulette Bloomer at http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/bn8_1_09.htm: I wouldn’t dream of commenting either way, but as I spent a long day (and a fair amount of money) getting to see both Agulhas larks, I personally hope he’s right!

Agulhas Long-billed Lark

Click the icon for a short recording of Agulhas Long-billed Lark made on the same day as these photos were taken.

All photos copyright Charlie Moores

Tags: cape, larks, south-africa

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About the Author

Charlie

Charlie works for an airline and has birded all over the world for twenty years. He wants to be a writer, and thinks no-one would believe his life could be so charmed if he didn't take photos of as many of the birds he sees as possible. Blogging with 10,000 Birds fits his aims, needs, and insecurities perfectly. Really - do birders get much more fortunate than this?

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