Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark
Photo © Claude Kolwelter
Photo © Claude Kolwelter — CC BY 4.0 — Source: iNaturalist #97273730The chestnut-headed sparrow-lark (Eremopterix signatus) or chestnut-headed finch-lark is a species of passerine bird in the family Alaudidae. It is found in eastern and north-eastern Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and hot deserts. == Taxonomy and systematics == === Subspecies === Two subspecies are recognized: E. s. harrisoni - (Ogilvie-Grant, 1900): Found in south-eastern Sudan and north-western Kenya E. s. signatus - (Oustalet, 1886): Found in southern and eastern Ethiopia, Somalia and eastern Kenya == Description == The male chestnut-headed sparrow-lark has a black collar and bib, white cheeks and a white circular area on the nape of the crown, surrounded by a chestnut border. This distinguishes it from Fischer's sparrow-lark which lacks the white spot. The female has duller plumage. == Behaviour and ecology == This bird is usually found in pairs or small flocks of up to forty birds, often around water holes. It flies low to the ground and may sing in flight or when standing on bare ground.
Tsavo East National Park
Athi ward, Kenya
+468 birds+50 mammals
Across the semi-arid lowlands of southeastern Kenya, where acacia woodland fragments into scrubland and the landscape rolls toward the Indian Ocean horizon, lies one of Africa's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTsavo West National Park
Mwatate, Kenya
+513 birds+49 mammals
Where volcanic ridges and weathered lava flows meet the semi-arid lowlands of south-central Kenya, Tsavo West National Park unfolds across a landscape sculpted by fire and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAmboseli National Park
Etonet/Lenkism ward, Kenya
+501 birds+43 mammals
Where the Amboseli basin opens toward the Tanzanian frontier, a shallow alkaline lake mirrors vast skies across one of East Africa's most iconic savanna landscapes. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAwash National Park
Didiga, Ethiopia
+473 birds+23 mammals
Where the Ethiopian Rift Valley carves through volcanic plateaus, a ribbon of riverine forest winds through acacia scrubland and grassland, creating a mosaic of habitats that…
VIEW NATURAL PARKMeru National Park
Igembe Central, Kenya
+408 birds+38 mammals
Granite outcrops and acacia woodland rise across the northern reaches of Meru, where semi-arid savanna transitions into drier scrubland under the fierce equatorial sun. The park's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSamburu National Reserve
Samburu, Kenya
+430 birds+42 mammals
Across the arid plains of northern Kenya, where scattered acacia woodland gives way to rocky outcrops and dry riverbeds, Samburu National Park unfolds as one of…
VIEW NATURE RESERVESouth Island National Park
Loiyangalani ward, Kenya
+25 birds
Across the volcanic plateaus and acacia-dotted plains of northern Kenya's semi-arid interior, South Island National Park rises as a stark and compelling wilderness. The park's dramatic…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSibiloi National Park
Kenya
+118 birds
Where the northern deserts of Kenya meet the volcanic Chalbi Plain, Sibiloi National Park sprawls across a landscape shaped by millennia of tectonic upheaval and semi-arid…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKArabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve
Kilifi, Kenya
+383 birds+29 mammals
Coastal forest rises from the Indian Ocean plains of Kilifi County, where sandy soils and seasonal rainfall have sculpted a woodland ecosystem unlike anywhere else on…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEWatamu Marine National Park
Dabaso ward, Kenya
+328 birds+12 mammals
Where mangrove channels meet coral gardens and sandy shallows blend into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Watamu Marine National Park unfolds across the Kilifi…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community photos yet. Log in to add the first one.
No community observations of this species yet.