Alauda

Japanese skylark Alauda japonica, copyright Alpsdrake.

Belongs within: Alaudidae.

Alauda, the skylarks, are a genus of larks found in the Palaearctic region (with the Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis also introduced to eastern Australia, New Zealand and North America). Members of this genus have streaked brown upperparts, pale underparts and a short erectile crest. The Oriental skylark A. gulgula of eastern Asia differs from the Eurasian skylark A. arvensis in being smaller with a relatively longer and thicker bill, shorter tail and shorter wings.

<==Alauda Linnaeus 1758 CC10
    |--*A. arvensis Linnaeus 1758 CC10
    |    |--A. a. arvensis CC10 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--A. a. cantarella Bonaparte 1850 L03
    |    |--A. a. intermedia VP89
    |    |--A. a. pekinensis Swinhoe 1863 [incl. A. buxtoni Allen 1905] L03
    |    `--A. a. scotica Tschusi 1903 CC10
    |--A. alpestris Linnaeus 1758 L58
    |--A. dulcivox Hume 1872 L03
    |--A. gulgula JT12
    |    |--A. g. gulgula L03
    |    |--A. g. coelivox Swinhoe 1859 L03
    |    |--A. g. herberti Hartert 1923 [=A. arvensis herberti] L03
    |    |--A. g. sala Swinhoe 1870 [incl. A. arvensis hainana Hartert 1922] L03
    |    |--A. g. vernayi Mayr in Stanford & Mayr 1941 [=A. arvensis vernayi] L03
    |    `--A. g. weigoldi Hartert 1922 [=A. arvensis weigoldi] L03
    |--A. gypsorum Portis 1887 M02
    |--A. japonica JT12 [=A. arvensis japonica L81]
    |--A. major Portis 1887 M02
    |--A. pyrrhonota S66
    |--A. razae JT12
    `--A. spinoletta Linnaeus 1758 L58

Alauda arvensis arvensis Linnaeus 1758 CC10 [incl. A. albigularis Brehm 1841 L03, A. bugiensis Löwenstein & Brehm in Brehm 1841 L03, A. galeridaria Brehm 1841 L03, A. gracilis Brehm 1841 L03, A. montana Brehm 1831 L03, A. pratorum Brehm 1841 L03, A. tenuirostris Brehm 1841 L03]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[CC10] Checklist Committee (OSNZ). 2010. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica 4^th ed. Ornithological Society of New Zealand and Te Papa Press: Wellington.

[JT12] Jetz, W., G. H. Thomas, J. B. Joy, K. Hartmann & A. Ø. Mooers. 2012. The global diversity of birds in space and time. Nature 491: 444–448.

[L03] LeCroy, M. 2003. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Part 5. Passeriformes: Alaudidae, Hirundinidae, Motacillidae, Campephagidae, Pycnonotidae, Irenidae, Laniidae, Vangidae, Bombycillidae, Dulidae, Cinclidae, Troglodytidae, and Mimidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 278: 1–156.

[L58] Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii: Holmiae.

[L81] Long, J. L. 1981. Introduced Birds of the World: The worldwide history, distribution and influence of birds introduced to new environments. Reed: Sydney.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.

[S66] Sclater, P. L. 1866. Report on birds collected at Windvogelberg, South Africa, by Capt. G. E. Bulger, C. M. Z. S. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 21–23.

[VP89] Viney, C., & K. Phillipps. 1989. Birds of Hong Kong 5^th ed. Government Printer: Hong Kong.

Last updated: 15 July 2019.