Black-crowned Sparrow-lark
A species of Sparrow-larks Scientific name : Eremopterix nigriceps Genus : Sparrow-larks
Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, A species of Sparrow-larks
Botanical name: Eremopterix nigriceps
Genus: Sparrow-larks
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Don Roberson 
Description
The adult males has a bold pied head pattern with a mainly blackhead with contrasting white forehead and white cheek patches. The upperparts are pale greyish brown with black underparts and underwings which contrast with a white patch at the sides of the breast. The tail is blackish with buff edges and grey central feathers, The bill is horn coloured. The females are very different being pale sandy brown on the upperparts with faint streaking on the crown and whitish patches around the eye and on the sides of the neck. The female's underparts are whitish with a pale cinnamon breast band and black underwing coverts, The juveniles are similar to the fameals but the feathers on the head are tipped with buff. The bird is 11.5–12.5 cm in length from bill to tail. The male's song is quite variable, typically consisting of a short series of simple, sweet notes, either sung in the flight display or from a low vantage point in a bush or on a rock. 
Size
11 cm
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Black-crowned Sparrow-lark predominantly consumes seeds and invertebrates, employing ground foraging and aerial hawking. Nestlings are fed insects. Feeding activity peaks in cooler early mornings and evenings, showcasing its adaptation to hot climates.
Habitat
The typical habitat of black-crowned Sparrow-lark encompasses arid and semi-arid plains that support sparse grasses and low vegetation. These birds show a preference for areas with sandy soils over rocky terrains. Additionally, they are often found in the vicinity of saline pans within these dry ecosystems.
Dite type
Granivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
In the heat of midday, these birds reduce water loss by staying in the shade, and it has even been recorded sheltering within the burrows of large lizards. It will also attempt to regulate its body temperature by flying with the legs dangling below it to expose the bare skin, or by perching facing into the wind, with the wings drooped to increase its surface area which is exposed to the moving air. Outside of the breeding season, they may form flocks of up to 50 birds which forage together but large flocks of several thousand have been recorded.
Distribution Area
The black-crowned sparrow-lark occurs across North Africa, from the Cape Verde archipelago east through the Sahel of northern Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula and into Pakistan and India. The black-crowned sparrow-lark occurs in arid and semi-arid plains with scattered low vegetation and tussocks of grass, preferring sandy areas over areas with rocky soil, it has also been observed around salt pans.
Photo By Don Roberson 
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Larks Genus
Sparrow-larks Species
Black-crowned Sparrow-lark 
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