Alauda leucoptera

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Infraordo: Passerida
Superfamilia: Passeroidea

Familia: Alaudidae
Genus: Alauda
Species: Alauda leucoptera
Name

Alauda leucoptera Pallas, 1811
Synonymy

Melanocorypha leucoptera

References

Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica 1: 518.
Alström, P., Barnes, K. N., Olsson, U., Barker, F. K., Bloomer, P., Khan, A. A., Qureshi, M. A., Guillaumet, A., Crochet, P.-A., & Ryan, P. G. (2013). Multilocus phylogeny of the avian family Alaudidae (larks) reveals complex morphological evolution, non-monophyletic genera and hidden species diversity. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69 (3): 1043-1056. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.005 Reference page.
Mlíkovský, J. 2013. The authorship and type locality of Melanocorypha leucoptera (Aves: Alaudidae). Zootaxa 3616(3): 298–300. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3616.3.9 Paywall Reference page.
Schodde, R. et al. 2014. The correct authorship and type locality of Melanocorypha leucoptera (Aves: Passeriformes, Alaudidae). Zootaxa 3779(3): 397–398. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3779.3.9 Reference page.

Vernacular names
العربية: قبرة بيضاءة الجناحين
башҡортса: Сырлауыҡ
български: Белокрила чучулига
brezhoneg: Alc'hweder eskell gwenn
català: Calàndria alablanca
Cymraeg: Ehedydd adeinwyn
Deutsch: Weißflügellerche
English: White-winged Lark
Esperanto: Blankflugila alaŭdo
español: Calandria aliblanca
فارسی: چکاوک بال‌سفید
suomi: Valkosiipikiuru
français: Alouette leucoptère
magyar: Fehérszárnyú pacsirta
қазақша: Аққанатты бозторғай
Nederlands: Witvleugelleeuwerik
norsk: Hvitvingelerke
polski: Skowronek białoskrzydły
русский: Белокрылый жаворонок
svenska: Vitvingad lärka
Türkçe: Ak kanatlı toygar
українська: Жайворонок білокрилий
Tiếng Việt: Sơn ca cánh trắng
中文: 白翅百灵

The white-winged lark (Alauda leucoptera) is a species of lark found from southern Ukraine through Kazakhstan to south-central Russia.[2] It is partially migratory, with birds tending to move south in winter. The southernmost birds are mainly resident. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
Taxonomy and systematics

The current genus name is from the Latin for lark. The specific leucoptera means "white-winged", from leukos, "white", and pteron, "wing".[3] Formerly, the white-winged lark was classified as belonging to the genus Melanocorypha until moved to Alauda in 2014.[4]
Description

This lark with flashing white wing patches is large and robust, usually 17–19 cm in length, with a wingspan of 35 cm. Both sexes weigh about 44 g. In flight, it is unmistakable due to its striking wing pattern: black outer flight feathers, white inner flight feathers, and the rest of the wing chestnut. Its body is dark-streaked grey above and whitish below. The adult male has a chestnut crown, but the sexes are otherwise similar.
Vocalisations

Its song is a more melodious version of the Eurasian skylark's.
Behaviour and ecology
Alauda leucoptera

The white-winged lark lives in dry, open steppe and plains. It nests on the ground, laying three to eight eggs per clutch. Its diet consists of seeds, and insects during the breeding season. It is gregarious during the winter.
Threats

Habitat destruction due to ploughing is one of the main threats to the white-winged lark.
Status

Although its population has declined significantly, it is still relatively common, and is not considered to be at risk.[1]
References

BirdLife International (2018). "Alauda leucoptera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22717298A131975551. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22717298A131975551.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
"Nicators, reedling & larks « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 225, 247. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
"Taxonomy 4.1 to 4.4 « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2016-12-04.