Spizocorys starki
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Stark's lark (Spizocorys starki) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Captain George Shelley named the species in honour of Arthur Stark.
Stark's lark was originally classified in the genus Calandrella and was then moved from the genus Eremalauda to Spizocorys in 2009. This species is alternately named as Stark's short-toed lark. It is a pale medium-small lark with a pale, stout bill that appears slightly swollen. It exhibits a subtle streaky pattern on its sandy-brown upperparts and a distinct pale eyebrow. The underparts are whitish with faint streaking, and the lark often displays a raised, streaked crest.
Stark's Larks are highly mobile, exhibiting nomadic behavior. Following rainfall events, they may form flocks ranging from small groups to large ones, occasionally associating with other species such as sparrow-larks or buntings. These birds exhibit a preference for arid grasslands characterized by gravel substrates, avoiding sandy areas. To cope with high ambient temperatures... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Stark's Lark sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 96th most-seen of the 122 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Stark's Lark in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and December–April, the lowest months. Those are among Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 40 mm in January. May has too few records to rate.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Stark's 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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Stark's Lark sightings, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 20%) and Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 10%).
Same family: Alaudidae
The closest relatives of the Stark's Lark that you can see in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (family Alaudidae, Larks) are Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark (about 20%), Sabota Lark (about 20%) and Fawn-colored Lark (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Stark's Lark is recorded against all the birds logged in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
