Photo: Timothy Whitehead / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cape Long-billed Lark
Certhilauda curvirostris
Cape Long-billed Lark (Certhilauda curvirostris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cape Long-billed Lark (Certhilauda curvirostris) is a member of the Alaudidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 40.4 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 Certhilauda
- Species curvirostris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 40.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cape Long-billed Lark is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Cape Long-billed Lark is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cape Long-billed Lark (Certhilauda curvirostris) is a species of bird in the Alaudidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF sw Namibia and w, s South Africa.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 40.4 g, with a wing length of about 10.3 cm and a tail of around 7.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 63,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cape Long-billed Lark?
The Cape Long-billed Lark is a small bird that weighs around 40.4 g.
Where does the Cape Long-billed Lark live?
The Cape Long-billed Lark is found across Africa with a range covering AF sw Namibia and w, s South Africa, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Cape Long-billed Lark belong to?
The Cape Long-billed Lark (Certhilauda curvirostris) belongs to the Alaudidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cape Long-billed Lark eat?
The Cape Long-billed Lark is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cape Long-billed Lark migrate?
The Cape Long-billed Lark is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cape Long-billed 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 Cape Long-billed Lark make?
1 real field recording of the Cape Long-billed Lark — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Cape Long-billed Lark's range?
The Cape Long-billed Lark has a mapped global range of about 63,000 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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