Chersomanes albofasciata
Spike-heeled Larks are nondescript little birds that inhabit open grasslands and scrublands, feeding on a wide variety of insects and other invertebrates. They move around in groups of up to 10 individuals and prefer areas with natural vegetation and seldom venture into cultivated or otherwise disturbed land.
Spike-heeled Larks nest in a scrape on the ground, usually made at the base of a grass tussock or shrub but in more arid areas even a pile of stones or sticks will do, as long as it provides some shade during the hottest hours of the day. It appears that they breed in response to rainfall and clutches may number up to 5 eggs, though 2 or 3 is the norm. The female incubates the eggs which hatch within 2 weeks, but both parents take responsibility for feeding the chicks until they leave the nest – sometimes even before they can fly. The chicks become independent at less than a month old.
Despite noting that their populations are probably declining due to expanding agriculture, the IUCN lists the Spike-heeled Lark as being of least concern. The species is found in parts of every South African province with its core distribution extending into neighbouring Botswana, Namibia and beyond into Angola, with isolated populations in the DRC and Tanzania.
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