A medium-sized, stocky lark with a small bill, a streaky head and back, and scalloped edges to the wing feathers that give it a scaly-backed appearance. The plumage varies geographically, with rusty to dark brown upperparts, buffy underparts, and a reddish wing panel visible in flight and when perched. Pairs prefer grassy savanna and open woodland, where they forage for insects by running furtively between clumps of grass and shrubs. The male gives a distinctive aerial display that involves the mechanical “clapping” of the wings beneath the body. He rises to 50-100 meters in the air and slowly circles his territory, giving a series of short (one-second) bursts of wing-clapping, typically rendered “prrrrrt, prrrrrt, prrrrt….” The may be accompanied by a simple canary-like song “cheeroo-weee.” The similar Rufous-naped Lark is larger, with a completely different display.