What to Know About the Rufous-naped Lark in Uganda?

The Rufous-Naped Lark in Uganda is one of the African birds in Uganda seen during birding safaris. It is also known as a Rufous-naped Bush Lark in the family Alaudidae. It is a widely spread and exposed species of lark in the wooded grasslands, savannas and woodlands of Uganda.

How Does the Rufous-naped Lark in Uganda Look Like?

The rufous-naped lark is quite large and strong with a heavy flight. Male and female are similar, except that the male is a bit bigger than the female.

Adults measures between 15–18 cm length from beak tip to tail tip and has its weight varies from 40-44 g.

The upper parts are dotted, crest is short and erect, eyebrows are creamy-buff and joins with the lore. The rufous flight feathers are easily visible.

The back crown and nape are marked along the spike centers while the margins diverge from chestnut, pinkish buff to greyish brown.

The wings look rufous in flight, while the outside part of primaries a rufous panel like on the locked wing.

The downer wing feathers are rufous, and upper coverts are broadly edged tawny. The tail is dim brown, but the outer tail feathers vary from buff bright rufous.

The mantle is brown lighter than the back, and the rump still darker brown. The flanks are a shade darker than the rufous-buff belly.

The pale rufous upper breast is marked dusky brown. The eyes are hazel brown, the longer beak is duckish and, and the feet pinkish brown.

Young ones have daring dark spotting on the crown, mantle and wing feathers, all trimmed with buff, while the breast marking is more diffuse.

How Does the Rufous-naped Lark in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

A clear, whistled phrase of three to five syllables is distinctive, it may be heard as tseep-tseeoo, teeoo-teewee or chiwiki-chiwi.

The song may be changed after every 20 or so repetitions. The wings are distinctly flapped for few seconds between phrases.

This results in a quick prrrrt or phrrrp rattle, and may lift the bird off its perch. Perched males may also string together fragments of the songs of various grassland birds. perched It utters peewit, tweekiree or pree, pree notes in alarm.

How Does the Rufous-naped Lark in Uganda Feed?

It feeds on the bases of grass tufts, on plain ground, gardens and between ungulate droppings. It also eats termites in the air or as they arise from termitaria, or gather insects from plants.

Eats include insects such as, spiders, millipedes, earthworms, and in winter^. And some grass and forb seeds. It may forage in burnt grassland immediately after fires.

How Does the Rufous-naped Lark in Uganda Nest?

The nest is a well-covered mug made of dry grass and set in a deep scrape at the base of a grass cluster a shrub. A delicate grass dome covers the nest while leaving a front entrance. The cup is lined with finer plant material.

How Does the Rufous-naped Lark in Uganda Breed?

During courtship, the male will feed the female to reinforce their pair-bond or to secure a mating opportunity.

Males attract attention of females by their daring and repeated wing-fluttering displays from prominent perches, which is accompanied by a melodious and far-carrying whistled phrase.

How Does the Rufous-naped Lark in Uganda Reproduce?

Female lay 2 to 3 white, cream or pink in colored eggs, and dotted brown and grey, near the blunter end. The young ones are hatched with lively yellow gapes.

They are enclosed in whitish grey to buff plumage, and brooding is for the female only. Incubation period is about 14 to 15 days and singing by the male decreases as incubation commences.

Juveniles are fed by both male and female, but mostly female. Fledging of chicks is after about 12 days.