154 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Short-toed Lark 

 (CalandreUa b. brachydactyla). 



CALANDRELLA BRACHYDACTYLA 



61. CalandreUa brachydactyla brachydactyla (Leisler) THE 

 SHORT-TOED LARK. 



ALAUDA BRACHYDACTYLA Leisler, Ann. Wetterau. Ges., in, p. 357, pi. 19 

 (1814 Montpellier in France). 



CalandreUa brachydactyla (Leisler), Yarrell, i, p. 637 ; Alauda brachy- 

 dactyla Leisler, Saunders, p. 255. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and 

 female. Winter. Whole upper- parts 

 varying from pale greyish-brown to 

 sandy-buff, broadly streaked black- 

 brown ; nape more uniform with 

 very fine streaks ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts with scarcely any streaks 

 (crown in sandy-coloured specimens 

 usually reddish with fine dark 

 streaks) ; lores and superciliary 

 stripe whitish-buff ; ear-coverts grey 

 to sandy-brown ; cheeks minutely 

 spotted dark brown ; chin, throat, 

 breast, belly and under tail-coverts white with a sandy-buff band 

 across upper-breast ; flanks washed sandy-buff ; on each side of 

 upper-breast a dark brown patch; axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts white tinged sandy-buff ; tail-feathers, central pair dark 

 brown broadly fringed sandy- buff, rest blacker brown, outer pair 

 with buffish-white outer web and large wedge-shaped mark on 

 inner web, penultimate pair with most of outer web buffish-white, 

 rest narrowly edged and tipped same ; primaries brown tipped 

 and edged on outer webs buff and on proximal half of inner webs 

 whitish ; secondaries same, but inner feathers broadly edged and 

 tipped sandy or whitish-buff ; primary-coverts like primaries ; 

 greater and median coverts like inner secondaries but with reddish- 

 buff marks above the pale tips ; lesser coverts more uniform buff. 

 This plumage is acquired by complete moult in early autumn 

 Summer. No moult and abrasion causes little change, but crown 

 becomes rather more uniform, dark streaks on upper-parts and 

 dark patches on sides of upper-breast more pronounced. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Upper-parts in general coloration varying as adults, 

 each feather evenly tipped white to whitish-buff with a penultimate 

 dark mark, giving upper-parts (including rump and upper tail 

 coverts and median and lesser wing-coverts) a spotted appearance ; 

 tail, wing-feathers, primary- and greater coverts with even margins 

 of white to buff ; lores, superciliary stripe and ear-coverts as adult 

 but some of latter with minute whitish tips ; under-parts white 

 with an irregular band of dark brown spots across upper-breast 

 coalescing and forming dark patches at sides as in adult. 



