About Eremopterix leucotis (Stanley, 1814)
This is a description of Eremopterix leucotis, commonly called the chestnut-backed sparrow-lark, which is a small lark species measuring 11 cm in length. Males of the species have a striking appearance, with solid black underparts and head, except for bright white patches on the nape and behind the eyes. Their upperparts and wings are chestnut-colored with some dark streaking, and they have a thick grey bill. Females are less boldly colored; they have heavily streaked buff-white underparts and head, a white nape collar, and chestnut upperparts with mottling. Juvenile birds have the same appearance as females. This lark lives in open dry habitats including open grassland and arid savanna, and it prefers recently burned grassy areas, open fields, and gravel plains. The birds shuffle along bare patches while foraging for seeds and insects. The species has both resident and nomadic populations, though the details of these movements are not well understood. In areas where its range overlaps with that of the chestnut-headed sparrow-lark in northeastern Africa, it is often found in mixed flocks with that species. The recognized subspecies or geographic population Eremopterix leucotis is found from South Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and northwestern Somalia. In terms of behavior and ecology, this lark nests on the ground and lays one egg per clutch, and its diet consists of insects and seeds.
