CALANDRELLA 393 



CALANDRELLA, Kaup, 1829. 



560. SHORT-TOED LARK. 

 CALANDRELLA BRACHYDACTYLA. 



Calandrella Irachydactyla (Leisl.) Wetter. Annal. iii. p. 357, Tab. xix. 

 (1814) ; (Naum.) iv. p. 188, Taf. 98, fig. 2 ; (Gould), B. of E. iii. 

 pi. 163 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iii. pi. 21 ; (Hewitson), i. p. 181, pi. xlv. 

 fig. 4 ; Newton, i. p. 637 ; Dresser, iv. p. 341, pi. 235 ; Sliarpe, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. xiii. p. 580 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. O. p. 415 ; Gates, F. 

 Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 327 ; Saimders, p. 255 ; Lilford, iv. p. 9, 

 pi. 5 ; C. kollyi, (Terum.) Pt., col. iii. pi. 305, fig. 1. (1824) ; C. 

 hermonensis, Tristr. P.Z.S., 1864, p. 434 ; C. duMunensis (Sykes), 

 P.Z.S., 1832, p. 93 ; C. tibetana, Brooks, Str. F. 1880, p. 488 ; C. 

 acutirostris, Hume and Henderson, Lah. to Yark., p. 265 (1873). 



La Calandrclle, French ; Carreirola, Portug. ; Terrera, Span. ; 

 Calandrino, Ital. ; Isabelle-Lerche, German ; Maloui-Javronok, 

 Russ. ; Baghaira, Hindu. 



'$ ad. (S. Europe). Upper parts rufous candy brown streaked with 

 blackish brown j superciliary streak creamy white ; quills blackish brown, 

 the outer web of first quill creamy white ; secondaries and wing- 

 coverts margined with creamy buff, the inner secondaries much elongated 

 nearly reaching the tip of the wing ; middle rectrices dark brown margined 

 with rufous buff; outer rectrices with the outer web and terminal ^portion 

 buffy white or white ; remaining tail-feathers blackish brown ; under 

 parts white ; breast washed with buff ; a blackish brown patch on each side 

 of the upper breast ; flanks washed with buff ; bill dull horn-brown, paler 

 below ; legs pale brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'4 to 5, wing 3'5 to 

 3-75, tail 2-4 to 2*6, tarsus 0'75 to 0'8, hind-toe with claw 0'55, 0'6 inch. 

 Sexes alike except that the female is somewhat smaller. The young bird has 

 the upper parts variegated with light reddish brown, black and white, the 

 elongated inner secondaries with a purplish gloss, tail tipped with pale 

 buff. 



Hob. Central and Southern Europe; North Africa; Asia 

 east to Lake Baikal ; Mongolia and North China, south to 

 Northern India in winter ; of rare occurrence in England and 

 also on Heligoland. In the southern part of its range it is 

 chiefly resident. 



Frequents the lowlands, in summer chiefly sandy plains, and 

 is tame and confiding in its general habits. Its song is short 

 and not of a high quality, and is uttered either when the bird 

 is on the wing or when perched on a clod or stone. Its food 

 consists chiefly of small seeds of various kinds. In winter 



