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!

 

 

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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