Calandrella brachydactyla
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, Calandrella, is a diminutive of kalandros, the calandra lark, and brachydactila is from brakhus, "short", and daktulos, "toe".
It breeds in southern Europe, north-west Africa, and across the Palearctic from Turkey and southern Russia to Mongolia. During migration they form large, tight flocks that move in unison; at other times they form loose flocks.
The greater short-toed lark was described by the German naturalist Johann Leisler in 1814 and given the binomial name Alauda brachydactila. This lark is now placed in the genus Calandrella that was established by another German naturalist, Johann Jakob Kaup, in 1829. The specific name brachydactyla is from the Ancient Greek βραχυδακτυλος brakhudaktulos "short-toed" from brakhus "short" and daktulos "toe". The alternate name short-toed lark may also be used for three other species in the genus Calandrella. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | |
| 3 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 6 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Short-toed Lark sighting in Vasai-Virar on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 176th most-seen of the 217 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Short-toed Lark in Vasai-Virar on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months. That is one of Vasai-Virar's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 840 mm in July.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Short-toed Lark sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 22 cities where we can rate Greater Short-toed Lark sightings, Vasai-Virar ranks 5th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Taipei (Taiwan, under 5%), Beirut (Lebanon, under 5%) and Kathmandu (Nepal, under 5%).
Same family: Alaudidae
The closest relatives of the Greater Short-toed Lark that you can see in Vasai-Virar (family Alaudidae, Larks) are Oriental Skylark (about 20%), Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark (about 20%) and Rufous-tailed Lark (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Short-toed Lark is recorded against all the birds logged in Vasai-Virar (19 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
