Plocealauda microptera
The Burmese Bush Lark, *Mirafra microptera*, is a small, cryptically plumaged songbird belonging to the Alaudidae family, endemic to the dry zone and central lowlands of Myanmar. Measuring approximately 13-14 cm in length, it exhibits the classic streaked brown upperparts and pale, finely streaked underparts typical of many larks, providing excellent camouflage against its grassy habitats. Its most distinctive field mark, and the source of its specific epithet 'microptera,' is its unusually s...
This species primarily inhabits open, dry grasslands, cultivated fields, fallow land, and savanna-like areas at low to moderate elevations in central Myanmar.
The diet consists mainly of insects, particularly grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles, supplemented with seeds of grasses and other herbaceous plants, foraged from the ground.
Burmese Bush Larks are largely terrestrial and diurnal, spending most of their time foraging on the ground, often in a characteristic 'run-and-peck' manner. Males engage in elaborate display flights, ascending steeply before parachuting down on stiff wings, often accompanied by a complex, varied ...
The Burmese Bush Lark is endemic to central and southern Myanmar, primarily found within the 'dry zone' east of the Ayeyarwady River and west of the Shan Hills. Its breeding range covers a relatively restricted area, extending from Mandalay south to Bago Region, with scattered populations further...
Least Concern
- The specific epithet 'microptera' is Latin for 'short-winged,' a key identifying feature of this lark, referring to its unusually short primary projection. - Despite its 'bush lark' common name, it spends most of its life on the ground, relying on camouflage for protection. - Male Burmese Bush ...