Pink-billed Lark Spizocorys conirostris Scientific name definitions

12–13 cm; 12–17 g. Fairly small, compact lark with short, stout, pinkish bill. Nominate race  has broad buffy to whitish supercilium, contrasting dark eyestripe and streaked brown crown; upperparts  brown to rufous-brown with darker feather centres, plainer on rump and uppertail-coverts; upperwing-coverts dark brown with broad buffy margins, median coverts often appearing as row of dark spots on folded wing; flight-feathers dull brown with buff margins, latter broader on inner secondaries and tertials; tail dark brown, buff margins of outer feathers; throat whitish, rest of underparts rufous-buff, breastband of dark brown streaking; eyes pale brown; bill  dull pink; legs pink. Differs from S. fringillaris in bolder supercilium, warmer-coloured upperparts, less pale in outer tail, darker underparts, thicker bill. Sexes alike. Juvenile is darker above, appearing spotted owing to pale feather tips, breast with diffuse dark spots, bill duller with blackish tip. Races vary chiefly in coloration, paler and less streaked in arid W, more rufous in SE, greyer or blackish above in N: barlowi is paler than nominate, less streaked above, belly whitish; <em>damarensis</em> is paler and less streaked than previous; crypta has greyer upperparts; makawai is blackish-brown with pinkish-buff edgings above, light pinkish-chestnut below; harti resembles previous but paler, with upperparts feathers edged pale grey.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Ranges from moist submontane grassland to semi-arid Nama Karoo and Kalahari grassland and savanna. In E occupies pastures and fields with young cereal crops, as well as recently ploughed and fallow fields. Largely restricted to red sands in the Kalahari, where prefers well-grassed dunes but also occurs in Rhigozum scrub provided that sufficient cover present. Often found around pans or on floodplains with short grass in N Botswana and SW Zambia.

Mostly seeds, some insects. Forages on the ground, singly or in pairs; in small flocks outside breeding season. Walks with bent legs, inspects ground surface. Regularly drinks water.

Flight call  a dry, trilled “chree chree”, higher-pitched than that of Calandrella cinerea; male song a mix of call notes and short, sweeter, whistled elements, often repeating each note 3–4 times.