Karoo Lark (Calendulauda albescens)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Karoo Lark

Calendulauda albescens (Lafresnaye, 1839)

30 gWeight

The Karoo lark (Calendulauda albescens) or red-backed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae.

Busiest months: September · Most records: South Africa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Karoo Lark has been recorded at 8 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. West Coast NPSouth Africa282 records
  2. West Coast NP – Abrahamskraal hideSouth Africa42 records
  3. Karoo NPSouth Africa37 records
More places
  1. West Coast NP – Seeberg hideSouth Africa24 records
  2. West Coast NP – Geelbek hides vicinitySouth Africa21 records
  3. Kliphoek Salt PansSouth Africa9 records
  4. Darling Hills/Groote Post RoadSouth Africa5 records
  5. Augrabies Falls NPSouth Africa2 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South Africa

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Karoo lark (Calendulauda albescens) or red-backed lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is endemic to South Africa where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Karoo Lark?

The Karoo Lark weighs around 30 g.

Where does the Karoo Lark live?

Its breeding range: Africa: South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa.

When is the best time to see the Karoo Lark?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Karoo Lark endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Karoo Lark as Least Concern.

What does the Karoo Lark eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Karoo Lark in?

It belongs to the family Larks (Alaudidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
30 g
Habitat
Desert
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
86 mm
Tail
60 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
24 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Larks Alaudidae
Genus
Calendulauda

Other birds in the genus Calendulauda

Karoo Lark

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Felix Riegel. ↗

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