The sun lark (Galerida modesta) or Nigerian sun lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. Its range extends mainly across the Sudan region (south of the Sahel), from Guinea to South Sudan. Its natural habitats are dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.

Sun lark
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Galerida
Species:
G. modesta
Binomial name
Galerida modesta
Heuglin, 1864
Subspecies

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Synonyms
  • Heliocorys modesta

Taxonomy and systematics

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Subspecies

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Four subspecies are recognized:[2]

  • G. m. modesta - Heuglin, 1864: Found from Burkina Faso and northern Ghana east to southern Sudan
  • Fouta-Djallon sun lark (G. m. nigrita) - (Grote, 1920): Found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and southern Mali
  • Ngaundere sun lark (G. m. struempelli, also as G. m. saturata, G. m. strumpelli and G. m. strümpelli) - (Reichenow, 1910): Originally classified as a separate species in genus Mirafra. Found in Cameroon
  • Uele sun lark (G. m. bucolica) - (Hartlaub, 1887): Originally classified as a separate species in genus Mirafra. Found in south-eastern Central African Republic, north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and extreme north-western Uganda

References

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  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Galerida modesta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22717398A94530243. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22717398A94530243.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "IOC World Bird List 6.4". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi:10.14344/ioc.ml.6.4.