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Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

Eremopterix leucotis

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesGrasslandCup nestSmall · 16 g
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 1
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 2
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 3
Photo: Rosario Douglas · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 4
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 5
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 6
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 7
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucotis), photo 8
Photo: Attila Oláh · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

This is a small lark at 11 cm. The male is striking, with solid black underparts and head apart from brilliant white patches on the nape and behind the eyes. The upperparts and wings are chestnut with some dark streaking. The thick bill is grey. The female chestnut-backed sparrow-lark is a drabber bird with heavily streaked buff-white underparts and head, and a white nape collar. The upperparts are chestnut with mottling. Young birds are like the female.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is December, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

Regular range

The map shades 28 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

South Africa Namibia Senegal Nigeria Botswana Gambia Ethiopia Zimbabwe Ghana Zambia Kenya Benin Cameroon Burkina Faso Tanzania Chad Malawi Niger Mali Lesotho Mozambique Mauritania Sudan Eswatini Somalia Eritrea Uganda Togo

About the Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

The chestnut-backed sparrow-lark is a passerine bird which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix verticalis) Grey-backed Sparrow-LarkEremopterix verticalisThe grey-backed sparrow-lark or grey-backed finch-lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. Fischer's Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucopareia) Fischer's Sparrow-LarkEremopterix leucopareiaFischer's sparrow-lark or Fischer's finch-lark is a species of passerine bird in the family Alaudidae. Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix nigriceps) Black-crowned Sparrow-LarkEremopterix nigricepsThe adult males has a bold pied head pattern with a mainly blackhead with contrasting white forehead and white cheek patches.

Side by side: Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark vs Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

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