How do you identify a Monotonous Lark?

A medium-small, compact lark with a small bill, a plain face, and an indistinct eyebrow. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Monotonous Lark?

The Monotonous Lark is a small sized bird weighing about 25 g.

Where can you see a Monotonous Lark?

The Monotonous Lark occurs in 5 countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

What does a Monotonous Lark sound like?

You can listen to a field recording of the Monotonous Lark on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

What birds look similar to a Monotonous Lark?

The Monotonous Lark is most easily confused with the Melodious Lark, the White-tailed Lark and the Williams's Lark.

Is the Monotonous Lark endangered?

The Monotonous Lark is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Monotonous Lark

Mirafra passerina

Larks · Passeriformes · Rare

The Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina) is a rare lark found in 5 countries, weighing about 25 g. The monotonous lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Africa.

Least ConcernRareEats invertebrateswoodlanddome nest25 g

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 1 — Photo: (c) Derek Keats, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 2 — Photo: Andrew Deacon · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 3 — Photo: Andrew Deacon · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 4 — Photo: Andrew Deacon · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 5 — Photo: Sameer Shaik · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 6 — Photo: Sameer Shaik · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 7 — Photo: Bruno - Yolande Zanette · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 8 — Photo: Christiaan Viljoen · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 9 — Photo: Christiaan Viljoen · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monotonous Lark (Mirafra passerina), photo 10 — Photo: Christiaan Viljoen · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Monotonous Lark

The monotonous lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Africa.

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

How to identify it

A medium-small, compact lark with a small bill, a plain face, and an indistinct eyebrow. It has streaky upperparts with a distinct rufous wing panel and a lightly-streaked buffy chest that separates the white throat from the pale belly.

What the Monotonous Lark sounds like

Recording: Rion Lerm · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

South Africa Namibia Botswana Zimbabwe Mozambique

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Monotonous Lark?: A medium-small, compact lark with a small bill, a plain face, and an indistinct eyebrow. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Monotonous Lark?: The Monotonous Lark is a small sized bird weighing about 25 g.
Where can you see a Monotonous Lark?: The Monotonous Lark occurs in 5 countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
What does a Monotonous Lark sound like?: You can listen to a field recording of the Monotonous Lark on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Monotonous Lark?: The Monotonous Lark is most easily confused with the Melodious Lark, the White-tailed Lark and the Williams's Lark.
Is the Monotonous Lark endangered?: The Monotonous Lark is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Monotonous Lark for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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