Melanocorypha

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: Melanocorypha
Species: M. bimaculata - M. calandra - - M. maxima - M. mongolica - M. yeltoniensis<
Name

Melanocorypha Boie, 1828
References

Isis von Oken 21: col.322.

Melanocorypha is a small genus of birds in the lark family. The current genus name, Melanocorypha is from Ancient Greek melas, "black", and koruphos a term used by ancient writer for a now unknown bird, but here confused with korudos, "lark".[2]
Taxonomy and systematics

Established by Friedrich Boie in 1828, the genus Melanocorypha has five extant and at least three extinct species.
Extant species

There are five species recognized in the genus:[3]
Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution
Melanocorypha bimaculata Bimaculated lark Turkey into central Asia
Melanocorypha calandra Calandra lark the Mediterranean and eastwards through Turkey into northern Iran and southern Russia
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis Black lark south-eastern Russia and Kazakhstan.
Melanocorypha mongolica Mongolian lark southern Russia and Mongolia to central China
Melanocorypha maxima Tibetan lark Tibetan plateau from north-western India to central China
Extinct species

There is at least three fossil species included in this genus:

†Melanocorypha serdicensis (late Miocene from Hrabarsko, Bulgaria)[4]
†Melanocorypha donchevi (late Pliocene from Varshets, Bulgaria)[4]
†Melanocorypha minor (Pliocene of Beremend, Hungary)[5]

Former species

Formerly, some authorities classified the following species as belonging to the genus Melanocorypha:

Thick-billed lark (as Melanocorypha clot-bey)[6]
Bar-tailed lark (as Melanocorypha cinctura)[7]
White-winged lark (as Melanocorypha leucoptera or Melanocorypha sibirica)[8]

Description

Melanocorypha larks are large, robust birds, 16.5–20 cm long with strong thick bills. Some have the typically undistinguished lark plumage, mainly streaked greyish-brown above and white below, but the, black and white-winged larks have distinctive male plumages. Several species have large black patches on the breast sides.

In flight they show broad wings and a shortish tail. The songs of most species are like that of the skylark.
Distribution and habitat

The members of Melanocorypha occur mainly in temperate Asia from Turkey through central Asia to China, but the calandra lark also has an extensive European distribution around the Mediterranean. These larks are mostly partially migratory, moving relatively short distances from the coldest parts of their ranges. Several species are very rare vagrants to western Europe.

These are birds of open cultivation, steppe or semi-desert. They nest on the ground and the young are precocial. The food is seeds supplemented with insects especially in the breeding season. They are gregarious outside the breeding season.
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melanocorypha.

"Alaudidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
"Nicators, reedling & larks « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
Boev, Z. 2012. Neogene Larks (Aves: Alaudidae (Vigors, 1825)) from Bulgaria - Acta zoologica bulgarica, 64 (3), 2012: 295-318.
Kessler, E. 2013. Neogene songbirds (Aves, Passeriformes) from Hungary. – Hantkeniana, Budapest, 2013, 8: 37-149.
"Ramphocoris clotbey - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-17.
"Ammomanes cinctura - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
"Alauda leucoptera - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2016-12-04.