Thekla Lark
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| Thekla Lark | ||||||||||||||
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| Galerida theklae (Brehm, AE, 1857) |
The Thekla Lark, Galerida theklae, breeds in Iberia, northern Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia. It is a sedentary species.
This is a common bird of dry open country, often at some altitude. It nests on the ground, laying two to six eggs. Its food is weed seeds and insects, the latter especially in the breeding season.
This is a smallish lark, slightly smaller than Skylark. It has a long spiky erectile crest. It is greyer than Skylark, and lacks the white wing and tail edged of that species.
It is very similar to the widespread Crested Lark, Galerida cristata. It is smaller and somewhat greyer than that species, and has a shorter bill. In flight it shows grey underwings, whereas Crested has reddish underwings. The body is mainly dark-streaked grey above and whitish below. The sexes are similar.
The song is melodious and varied, with mournful whistles and mimicry included. It is softer and more tuneful than that of Crested Lark.