Birds Guide

The Dupont's Lark (Chersophilus duponti), is the only lark in the genus Chersophilus (Sharpe, 1890). It breeds across much of north Africa, from Algeria to Egypt, and in Spain and France. It is a non-migratory resident.

This is a bird of open sandy semi-desert or steppe with some grass. Its nest is on the ground, with 3-4 eggs being laid. Its food is seeds and insects.

Like most other larks, Dupont's Lark is an undistinguished looking species on the ground. It is 17-18 cm long, slim, with a long neck, long legs and a fine slightly curved bill. It has a thin pale crown stripe and a dark-streaked breast.

There are two races. C. d. duponti of Europe and northwest Africa is mainly brown-grey above and pale below. C. d. margaritae, which occupies most of the rest of the African range, has rufous upperparts.

This is a very shy species, which runs for cover when disturbed. Its song is a nasal whistle, given mainly at dawn and dusk or at night.

This bird was named after the French naturalist Leonard Puech Dupont, who was the first to collect a specimen.

References

• BirdLife International (2005). Chersophilus duponti. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a lengthy justification of why this species is near threatened