Flappet lark

Flappet lark
	M. r. fischeri in the DRC
	M. r. kawirondensis in Uganda
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Alaudidae
Genus:	Mirafra
Species:	M. rufocinnamomea
Binomial name
	Mirafra rufocinnamomea; (Salvadori, 1866)
Subspecies
	See text
	resident range
Synonyms
	Megalophonus rufocinnamomea; Mirafra fischeri; Mirafra rufo-cinnamomea;

The flappet lark (Mirafra rufocinnamomea) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae, widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa. The name flappet originates from the distinctive wing flapping sound made during its breeding season.^[3]

Taxonomy and systematics

The flappet lark and the Cape clapper lark are regarded as forming a superspecies with the Eastern clapper lark.^[4] The alternate name "cinnamon bush lark" is also an alternate name for Horsfield's bush lark.

Subspecies

Fifteen subspecies are recognized:^[5]

Buckley's lark or West African cinnamon bush-lark, M. r. buckleyi (Shelley, 1873): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Calandrella. Found from southern Mauritania and Senegal to northern Cameroon
M. r. serlei White, CMN, 1960: Found in south-eastern Nigeria
Ubangi cinnamon lark, M. r. tigrina Oustalet, 1892: Originally described as a separate species. Found from eastern Cameroon to northern Democratic Republic of Congo
Darfur flappet lark, M. r. furensis Lynes, 1923: Found in west-central Sudan
Sobat flappet lark, M. r. sobatensis Lynes, 1914: Originally described as a separate species. Found in central Sudan
M. r. rufocinnamomea (Salvadori, 1865): Found in north-western and central Ethiopia
Abyssinian flappet lark, M. r. omoensis Neumann, 1928: Found in south-western Ethiopia
M. r. torrida Shelley, 1882: Found from south-eastern Sudan and northern Ethiopia to northern Uganda, central Kenya and central Tanzania
Rwenzori flappet lark, M. r. kawirondensis van Someren, 1921: Found in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, western Uganda and western Kenya
Nyasaland flappet lark, M. r. fischeri (Reichenow, 1878): Originally described as a separate species. Found in Angola, southern Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Zambia and northern Mozambique north through eastern Tanzania, eastern Kenya to southern Somalia
M. r. schoutedeni White, CMN, 1956: Found in Gabon and Central African Republic to western Democratic Republic of Congo and north-western Angola
M. r. lwenarum White, CMN, 1945: Found in north-western Zambia
M. r. smithersi White, CMN, 1956: Found in northern Zambia, Zimbabwe, north-eastern Botswana and northern South Africa
M. r. pintoi White, CMN, 1956: Found in southern Mozambique, Eswatini and north-eastern South Africa
M. r. mababiensis (Roberts, 1932): Found in western Zambia to central Botswana

Distribution and habitat

The flappet lark has a large range covering much of the African continent with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km².^[1] Its natural habitats are dry savannah, moist savannah, and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.