Agulhas long-billed lark

About Agulhas long-billed lark

• It is a small passerine bird.
• It builds nests on the ground mainly in Renosterveld fynbos, a type of vegetation filled with grasses and wild spring flowers.
• It is a South African endemic species restricted to the Agulhas plains.
• These are generally “little brown birds” that are often difficult to identify.
• These larks prefer to nest in Renosterveld.
• Habitat: It appears to have adapted quite well to its modified habitats, like farmlands, although its distribution is patchy for unknown reasons.
• Distribution: Its restricted range is centred on the Agulhas arable farmlands, from east of the Hottentots-Holland mountain range to Mossel Bay.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Near-threatened 
• Threats: Land use changes or any freak occurrence could be detrimental to the whole species and to other species that depend on this vegetation.

What is a passerine bird?

• A passerine or passeriform is a member of the order Passeriformes, the largest order of birds, containing more than half of all species.
• They are also known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds.
• Passerines are all terrestrial, found on all continents except Antarctica.

Q1) What is endemism?

It is a term used in biology to talk about the distribution of a taxon limited to a small geographic area and which can therefore be found naturally in this place. In consequence, endemic species are those that live in a limited area, such as a mountain range, lake or island, among others.

Source: South Africa’s Agulhas long-billed lark: adapting and surviving despite farming taking over their nesting grounds