Rufous-naped Lark ( Mirafra africana, family: Alaudidae)
The Rufous-naped Lark (Latin name Mirafra africana) is described in
Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique
Roberts number of 494 and you will find a full description of this bird
on page 862 also a picture of the Rufous-naped Lark on page 928. The
Rufous-naped Lark belongs to the family of birds classified as
Alaudidae.
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The Rufous-naped Lark is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park.
In terms of distribution of the Rufous-naped Lark in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. Rufous-naped Lark : see above distribution map.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
One of the first indicators to take note of when trying to identify a bird is it relative size. For example how big is the bird compared to a well known familiar bird. The Rufous-naped Lark is a small bird about the size of a house sparrow. Do not take this relative indicator as anything other than a rough easy to remember indicator. It is not a accurate visualization. The height of the Rufous-naped Lark is about 18 cms and its weight is about 44 gms
You will find that the male Rufous-naped Lark plumage and colours are different to that of the female Rufous-naped Lark
- Head is brown.
- Eye is brown.
- Bill is brown.
- Throat is white.
- Back is brown.
- Legs are pink.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The Rufous-naped Lark feeds on the ground mainly
Invertebrates
Seeds
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The Rufous-naped Lark is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Mirafra africana will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of Rufous-naped Lark is to create the nest on the ground. The bird lays eggs which are grey in colour and number between 2 to 3
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for Rufous-naped Lark are: woodlands and grasslands . The Rufous-naped Lark is also at home in wetland and bushveld areas.
You will not see Rufous-naped Lark in flocks. The bird prefers to act singly or in pairs.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Igwangqa/Iqabathule
Zulu ... uNgqangendlela/uNongqwashi
Afrikaans ...Rooineklewerik
German ... Rotnackenlerche
Portuguese ... Cotovia-de-nuca-vermelha
French ... Alouette nuque rousse
Dutch ... Roodnekleeuwerik
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For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 494
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
