Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark
Eremopterix verticalis
Scrublands and desert. Bill and legs white. Black head with white ear-patch all feathers broadly edged white; belly black.
Sparrow-Larks
LC
Near Endemic
Description
Very common, near-endemic resident. Both sexes are distinguished by grey upper parts. Male further differs from male of [Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark] in small white cap. Flocks make various shrill chirps while feeding. The flocks, often very large, occur in a wide variety of semi-arid to arid grassland, gravel plains with scattered bushes or trees and dry pans. Typically on pale, calcrete soils.
Quick Facts
Size
12-13 cm - S
Names
A: Grysruglewerik
Ss: Mmadiberwane-Nkataputswa
G: Nonnenlerche
Bird Family
Small, sparrow-like larks with marked sexual plumage differences. Gregarious, usually appearing in flocks even when breeding. Sparrow-larks are nomadic with regional fluctuations influenced by rainfall and abundancy of food (seeds). Their habitat is mainly open grassland, scrubland and semi-arid areas.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
The 'flocks', often very large, occur in a wide variety of semi-arid to arid 'grassland', gravel plains with scattered bushes or trees and dry pans.
