Red-capped Lark (Calandrella cinerea)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Red-capped Lark

Calandrella cinerea (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

14–15 cmLength24 gWeight

The red-capped lark (Calandrella cinerea) is a small passerine bird that breeds in the highlands of eastern Africa southwards from Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Red-capped Lark has been recorded at 182 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania849 records
  2. Amboseli NPKenya527 records
  3. Nairobi NPKenya442 records
More places
  1. Engikaret Lark PlainsTanzania331 records
  2. Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa265 records
  3. Lake Nakuru NPKenya253 records
  4. Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa249 records
  5. Maasai Mara NRKenya234 records
  6. Ol Pejeta ConservancyKenya207 records
  7. Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya189 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaSouth AfricaTanzaniaNamibiaUgandaLesothoZambiaBotswana

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 red-capped lark (Calandrella cinerea) is a small passerine bird that breeds in the highlands of eastern Africa southwards from Ethiopia and Somaliland. In the south, its range stretches across the continent to Angola and south to the Cape in South Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Red-capped Lark?

The Red-capped Lark is about 14–15 cm long and weighs around 24 g.

Where does the Red-capped Lark live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, eastern, southern. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.

When is the best time to see the Red-capped Lark?

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

Is the Red-capped Lark endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-capped Lark as Least Concern.

What does the Red-capped Lark eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Red-capped Lark in?

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

At a glance

Length
14–15 cm
Weight
24 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
91 mm
Tail
64 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

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

Range

Africa: western, eastern, southern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Larks Alaudidae
Genus
Calandrella

Other birds in the genus Calandrella

Hume's Short-toed LarkHume's Short-toed LarkCalandrella acutirostrisMongolian Short-toed LarkMongolian Short-toed LarkCalandrella dukhunensisBlanford's LarkBlanford's LarkCalandrella blanfordiRufous-capped LarkRufous-capped LarkCalandrella eremicaGreater Short-toed LarkGreater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactylaGreater Hoopoe-LarkGreater Hoopoe-LarkAlaemon alaudipesLesser Hoopoe-LarkLesser Hoopoe-LarkAlaemon hamertoniBeesley's LarkBeesley's LarkChersomanes beesleyiSpike-heeled LarkSpike-heeled LarkChersomanes albofasciataGray's LarkGray's LarkAmmomanopsis grayi
Red-capped Lark

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

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