The dune lark ( Calendulauda erythrochlamys) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is Endemism to Namibia where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The dune lark is the only avian creature that has evolved the ability to survive in the Namib, which is one of the driest regions in the world.
Taxonomy
The dune lark was formally described in 1853 by the English naturalist Hugh Strickland based on specimens collected in
Damaraland, a coastal belt near
Walvis Bay in Namibia. He coined the
binomial name Alauda erythrochlamys.
The dune lark is now one of eight larks placed in the genus
Calendulauda that was introduced by the English zoologist
Edward Blyth in 1855.
The name
Calendulauda combines the names of two other lark genera:
Calendula and
Alauda.
The specific epithet
erythrochlamys combines
Ancient Greek ερυθρος/
eruthros meaning "red" with χλαμυς/
khlamus, χλαμυδος/
khlamudos meaning "cloak".
Four subspecies are recognised:[
]
-
C. e. erythrochlamys (Strickland, 1853) – Kuiseb River (Walvis Bay) to Koigab River (central west Namibia)
-
C. e. barlowi (Roberts, 1937) – Koigab River to Aus (southwest Namibia)
-
C. e. patae (Macdonald, 1953) – coastal southwest Namibia to northwest South Africa
-
C. e. cavei (Macdonald, 1953) – inland southwest Namibia to northwest South Africa
Barlow's lark ( C. barlowi, including patae and cavei) was formerly considered to be a separate species. It is now lumped with the dune lark based on the very shallow genetic divergence and the essentially identical size and vocalizations.
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