Raso lark
| Raso lark | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Alaudidae |
| Genus: | Alauda |
| Species: | A. razae |
| Binomial name | |
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Alauda razae (Alexander, 1898) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Raso lark (Alauda razae) is a small passerine bird with a highly restricted range, being found only on Raso islet in the Cape Verde Islands. This critically endangered member of the family Alaudidae lives in very arid terrain, and is considered one of the least known birds in the Western Palaearctic region, due to its remoteness and the lack of much ornithological study on the archipelago as a whole.
Originally, the Raso lark was classified as belonging to the genus Spizocorys. Formerly or presently, some authorities considered the Raso lark to belong to the genus Calandrella. Alternate names for the Raso lark include Cape Verde Islands lark, Raso Island lark, Raso short-toed lark and Raza skylark.
Raso larks are relatively small in size. The Raso larks can range from sizes between 14–18 cm. The adult population is mostly made up of males who are larger than the females. The body has black and brown short streaks and paler around the chest with an erectile crest. The bill is thick-based and robust, longer for the males. The Raso lark is considered an adult when it has developed a reddish-brown tone between the ears and tail, with a pattern on the crown and back. While in flight they display a short tail with short broad wings. The tail and edge of the wings are white.
The Raso lark is restricted in range to only Raso islet in the Cape Verde archipelago, although historically it is believed to have ranged over two other islands, Branco and São Vicente Island. All three of these islands were joined in the last Ice Age. Evidence from subfossil bone deposits reveal that the Raso lark once also existed on the islands of Santa Luzia, São Vicente, Santo Antão, and possibly Branco during the glacial times, before human colonization in the 15th century. (IUCN 2012) Unfortunately, colonization was followed by a rapid extinction of local fauna. Raso islet itself has no permanent water and has never been inhabited by people, a fact that has probably saved the lark from extinction until now.
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Wikipedia