Calandrella Explained

Calandrella is a genus of larks in the family Alaudidae.

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Calandrella was established by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829 with the greater short-toed lark as the type species.^[1] The genus name is a diminutive of Ancient Greek kalandros, the calandra lark.^[2] Four of the species in the genus use the shortened name of short-toed lark as an alternate name.

Extant species

Six species are recognized in the genus:^[3]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Calandrella acutirostris		from Iran and Kazakhstan to China.
	Calandrella dukhunensis		China and Mongolia
	Calandrella blanfordi	Blanford's lark	northeast Africa and Arabia
	Calandrella eremica		southwestern Arabia and Somaliland.
	Calandrella cinerea		Ethiopia and Somaliland
	Calandrella brachydactyla		southern edge of the Sahara and India

Extinct species

At least one fossil species is included in this genus:

• †Calandrella gali (late Miocene of Polgardi, Hungary)^[4]

Former species

Some authorities have classified the following species as belonging to the genus Calandrella:

• Buckley's lark (as Calandrella buckleyi)^[5]
• Obbia lark (as Calandrella obbiensis)^[6]
• Sclater's lark (as Calandrella sclateri)^[7]
• Stark's lark (as Calandrella starki)^[8]
• Masked lark (as Calandrella personata)^[9]
• Botha's lark (as Calandrella fringillaris)^[10]
• Pink-billed Lark (as Calandrella conirostris)^[11]
• Raso lark (as Calandrella razae)^[12]
• Athi short-toed lark (as Calandrella athensis)^[13]
• Asian short-toed lark (as Calandrella cheleensis)^[14]
• Kazakhstan lesser short-toed lark (as Calandrella leucophaea)^[15]
• Somali short-toed lark (as Calandrella somalica)^[16]
• Sand lark (as Calandrella raytal)^[17]

Notes and References

1. Book: Kaup, Johann Jakob . Johann Jakob Kaup . 1829 . Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Geschichte und natürliches System der europäischen Thierwelt . c. 1 . German . Darmstadt . Carl Wilhelm Leske . 39 .
2. Book: Jobling, James A . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 84.
3. Web site: Nicators, reedling & larks « IOC World Bird List. www.worldbirdnames.org. 2016-12-06.
4. Kessler, E. 2013. Neogene songbirds (Aves, Passeriformes) from Hungary. – Hantkeniana, Budapest, 2013, 8: 37-149.
5. Web site: Mirafra rufocinnamomea buckleyi - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-17.
6. Web site: Spizocorys obbiensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-02.
7. Web site: Spizocorys sclateri - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-02.
8. Web site: Spizocorys starki - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-02.
9. Web site: Spizocorys personata - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-04.
10. Web site: Spizocorys fringillaris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-04.
11. Web site: Spizocorys conirostris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-16.
12. Web site: Alauda razae - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-05.
13. Web site: Alaudala athensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-19.
14. Web site: Alaudala cheleensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-19.
15. Web site: Alaudala cheleensis leucophaea - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-19.
16. Web site: Alaudala somalica - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-20.
17. Web site: Alaudala raytal - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2016-12-21.