Galerida magnirostris
A rather nondescript bird, perfectly camouflaged to blend in with the barren substrates they favour, the Large-billed Lark is a bird of the fynbos and Karoo biomes. They forage on the open ground, feeding on seeds and insects, and are particularly fond of ploughed fields and overgrazed pastures. They’re usually seen in pairs.
Large-billed Larks are territorial and form monogamous pairs that breed from mid-winter to mid-summer, building cup-shaped nests at the base of a grass tuft or low shrub in which both partners incubate clutches of 2-4 eggs for a little over 2 weeks. While the chicks are in the nest the parents are fearless about protecting them against predators and humans alike. Fully grown they weigh around 48g and measure about 18cm in length.
The Large-billed Lark is found only in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape Provinces as well as the southern Free State, Lesotho and extreme southern Namibia. The IUCN considers it to be of least concern.
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