Photo: Mike Prince from Bangalore, India / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Bar-tailed Lark
Ammomanes cinctura
Bar-tailed Lark (Ammomanes cinctura) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bar-tailed Lark (Ammomanes cinctura) is a member of the Alaudidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 18.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Alaudidae Larks
- Genus Ammomanes
- Species cinctura
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.1 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bar-tailed Lark is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of arid, desert country, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Bar-tailed Lark is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Bar-tailed Lark (Ammomanes cinctura) belongs to the Alaudidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers AF, PAL Morocco to Pakistan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.1 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 5.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bar-tailed Lark?
The Bar-tailed Lark is a small bird that weighs around 18.1 g.
Where does the Bar-tailed Lark live?
The Bar-tailed Lark is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering AF, PAL Morocco to Pakistan, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Bar-tailed Lark belong to?
The Bar-tailed Lark (Ammomanes cinctura) belongs to the Alaudidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Bar-tailed Lark eat?
The Bar-tailed Lark is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Bar-tailed Lark migrate?
The Bar-tailed Lark is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Bar-tailed Lark endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Bar-tailed Lark make?
1 real field recording of the Bar-tailed Lark — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Bar-tailed Lark's range?
The Bar-tailed Lark has a mapped global range of about 7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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