Eremopterix nigriceps
The Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix nigriceps) is a striking, small passerine, measuring approximately 12-13 cm in length with a wingspan of 20-22 cm and weighing 12-16 grams. Males are instantly recognizable by their bold black crown, contrasting white cheek patches, and solid black underparts from the belly to the undertail coverts, set against sandy-rufous upperparts and a white throat. Females are much duller, exhibiting a streaky brown head and upperparts, pale underparts, and on...
This species thrives in arid and semi-arid environments, favoring open, sparsely vegetated plains, stony deserts, and grasslands with scattered scrub, typically found at low to moderate elevations.
Their diet primarily consists of small seeds from grasses and various herbaceous plants, supplemented significantly by a range of insects, including beetles, ants, and their larvae, which they glean from the ground.
Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks are primarily diurnal, often most active during the cooler parts of the morning and late afternoon, seeking shade or burrowing into sand during peak heat. They are terrestrial foragers, moving with a characteristic crouched walk or short runs, gleaning seeds and insect...
The Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark boasts an extensive, albeit disjunct, resident range across the arid and semi-arid zones of the Old World. Its distribution spans from Mauritania and Senegal eastward across the northern fringe of the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa, including Sudan, Egypt,...
Least Concern
- The Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark is one of the most sexually dimorphic species within the lark family, Alaudidae. - Its name 'Sparrow-Lark' perfectly describes its appearance – sparrow-like in build, but with the distinctive song and flight behavior of a lark. - They are masters of camouflage; wh...