Grey-backed sparrow-lark

Grey-backed sparrow-lark
Male in Northern Cape, South Africa
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Eremopterix
Species:	E. verticalis
Binomial name
Eremopterix verticalis (Smith, 1836)
Subspecies
See text
Synonyms
Megalotis verticalis Gray backed sparrow lark Gray-backed finch lark Gray-backed finchlark Gray-backed finch-lark Gray-backed sparrow lark Gray-backed sparrow-lark Gray-backed sparrowlark Grey-backed finch lark Grey backed sparrow lark Greybacked finchlark Grey-backed finchlark Grey-backed finch-lark Grey-backed sparrow lark Grey-backed sparrowlark

The grey-backed sparrow-lark (Eremopterix verticalis) is a species of lark in the Alaudidae family. It is found in southern and south-central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. Sometimes, the name 'grey-backed sparrow-lark' is also used to describe the black-eared sparrow-lark.

Taxonomy and systematics

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized:^[2]

• E. v. khama - Irwin, 1957: Found in north-eastern Botswana, western Zimbabwe and western Zambia
• E. v. harti - Benson & Irwin, 1965: Found in south-western Zambia
• E. v. damarensis - Roberts, 1931: Found from western Angola and south-western Zambia to western South Africa
• E. v. verticalis - (Smith, 1836): Found from south-eastern Botswana and south-western Zimbabwe to southern South Africa

References

1. BirdLife International (2012). "Eremopterix verticalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
2. "IOC World Bird List 6.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.

External links

• Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds