Eremopterix leucotis

The Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark is a nomadic bird that inhabits open savannas with short grass and bare patches (especially recently burnt). They feed mainly on seeds, though insects and other invertebrates also feature in their diet and especially so in the breeding season. Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Larks are social and is usually seen in flocks numbering from 5 to 50 and sometimes several hundred individuals. They drink regularly when water is available but also occur far from water.

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Larks form monogamous pairs in the breeding season, which may be at anytime of year following good rainfall. They build the nest together, using a shallow depression next to a tuft of grass or rock in which to place the cup-shaped nest built with soft plant material. The clutch of 1-3 eggs are incubated by both parents and hatch in less than 2 weeks. The chicks leave the nest when they’re only 2 weeks old and before they’re fully capable of flying. Fully grown they weigh around 22g and measure 13cm in length.

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Larks occur in northern South Africa (from the Free State and Kwazulu-Natal northwards) and patchily throughout Africa’s savanna regions. The IUCN considers the species to be of least concern.