Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Alaudidae (Larks)

• Alaemon Keyserling & Blasius, 1840 Die Wirbelthiere Europa's. Erstes Buch: Die unterscheidenden Charactere 1, p.xxvi Alauda desertorum Stanley, 1814; Type by monotypy
  • 739. Greater Hoopoe-Lark Alaemon alaudipes (Desfontaines, 1789)
    Original Description: Upupa alaudipes Desfontaines, 1789 Histoire de l'Académie Royale des Sciences. Avec les Mémoires de Mathématique & de Physique (1787) p.504 pl.16 cdP
    Alternative Names: Large Desert Lark
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 739a. Alaemon alaudipes doriae (Salvadori, 1868) [HB#884]
      Original Description: Certhilauda doriae Salvadori, 1868 Atti della R[eale] Accademia delle Scienze di Torino 3 p.292
      Distribution: E Rajasthan and Kachchh.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, USNM
  
  
• Ammomanes Cabanis, 1851 Museum Heineanum. Verzeichniss der orithologischen Sammlung des Oberamtmann Ferdinand Heine 1(1850) p.125 Ammomanes pallida Cabanis, 1851; Type by original designation = Alauda arenicolor Sundevall, 1851
  • 740. Rufous-tailed Lark Ammomanes phoenicura (Franklin, 1831)
    Alternative Names: Rufous-tailed Finch-Lark
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 740a. Ammomanes phoenicura phoenicura (Franklin, 1831) [HB#882]
      Original Description: Mirafra phoenicura Franklin, 1831 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 no.10 p.119 (On the Ganga river between Kolkata and Varanasi, and in the Vindhyan hills between Varanasi and Garha Mandla [=Gurrah Mundela] on the Narmada river)
      Distribution: Punjab, Haryana, Delhi region, adjoining Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and adjoining S W Bengal, Chhattisgarh, W Odisha, Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana, N Andhra, and N Deccan Karnataka.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, ROM, HYD
    • 740b. Ammomanes phoenicura testacea Koelz, 1951 [HB#883]
      Original Description: Ammomanes phoenicurus testaceus Koelz, 1951 American Museum Novitates no.1510 p.3 (Salem)
      Taxonomy: Poorly differentiated subspecies; sometimes not recognised.
      Distribution: C and S Deccan Karnataka, S Andhra, Tamil Nadu, and locally in C Kerala.
      Type Specimen: FMNH#1499833 (Holotype).
      Specimens: NHMUK, AMNH, FMNH
  
  
  • 741. Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti (Lichtenstein, 1823)
    Original Description: Alauda deserti Lichtenstein, 1823 Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der Königl. Universität zu Berlin nebst Beschreibung vieler bisher unbekannter Arten von Säugethieren, Vögeln, Amphibien und Fischen p.28
    Alternative Names: Desert Finch-Lark
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 741a. Ammomanes deserti phoenicuroides (Blyth, 1853) [HB#880]
      Original Description: Mirafra phoenicuroides Blyth, 1853 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol. 22, N° 6 p.583 (footnote §) (Kashmir)
      Taxonomy: Type specimen lost (Sclater 1892, Ibis 34 (1): 73). Though Kashmir is considered the type locality of this taxa, it has occurred nowhere close to it yet (except another NHMUK#1887.9.1.2789) and there must be some confusion as to the provenance of the specimen that Blyth used to describe.
      Distribution: W Rajasthan (Thar).
      Specimens: NHMUK
      Notes: Birds found in Thar desert (after Sangha 2002, JBNHS 99 (1): 123) assumed to be this subspecies.
  
  
• Eremopterix Kaup, 1836 Das Thierreich in seinen Hauptformen systematisch beschrieben 2 p.139 Fringilla otoleuca Temminck, 1824; Type by subsequent designation (Bianchi, 1907, Bulletin de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, ser. 5, 25 (1906), p.29) = Alauda melanocephala Lichtenstein, 1823
  • 742. Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix nigriceps (Gould, 1839)
    Original Description: Pyrrhalauda nigriceps Gould, 1839 The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain FitzRoy, R.N., during the years 1832 to 1836 pt11 p.87
    Alternative Names: Black-crowned Finch-Lark
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 742a. Eremopterix nigriceps affinis (Blyth, 1867) [HB#879]
      Original Description: Pyrrhulauda affinis Blyth, 1867 Ibis p.185.
      Taxonomy: Subspecies not always recognised and treated as a junior synonym of extralimital subspecies melanauchen Cabanis, 1851 (See Avilist).
      Distribution: W Rajasthan, Kachchh (sporadic), and once straggled to Delhi region (historical).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK
      Notes: Reports from Punjab and Haryana in AR2001 not verified.
  
  
  • 743. Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix griseus (Scopoli, 1786) [HB#878]
    Original Description: Alauda grisea Scopoli, 1786 Deliciae Florae et Faunae Insubricae 2 p.95 (Gingee, Tamil Nadu)
    Taxonomy: Includes siccata Ticehurst 1925 from Deesa, Gujarat.
    Alternative Names: Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark
    Distribution: Throughout India from Jammu, Himachal and Punjab south till the southern tip of peninsula; west till Gujarat and east till W Bengal; sporadic in W coastal plains.
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, TNHM, HYD, LKO
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Assam reports (AR2001) not verified.
  
  
• Plocealauda Alström, Mohammadi, Enbody, Irestedt, Engelbrecht, Crochet, Guillaumet, Rancilhac, Tieleman, Olsson, Donald & Stervander, 2023 Avian Research 14 (2023) 100095 p. 12 Mirafra Assamica Horsfield, 1840; Type by original designation
  • 744. Jerdon's Bushlark Plocealauda affinis (Blyth, 1845) [HB#874]
    Original Description: Mirafra affinis Blyth, 1845 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 13 p.959 (Southern part of the Indian Peninsula)
    Taxonomy: Sympatric with Bengal Bushlark in W Bengal with no signs of intergradation.
    Distribution: W Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, S Chhattisgarh, E Maharashtra (Nagpur region), Telangana, Karnataka (except N), Andhra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
    Type Specimen: ZSI#35358 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, YPM, TNHM, MYS, HYD, LKO
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
  • 745. Indian Bushlark Plocealauda erythroptera (Blyth, 1845) [HB#875-877]
    Original Description: Mirafra erythroptera Blyth, 1845 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 13 p.958 (N Deccan)
    Taxonomy: Includes sindiana Ticehurst 1920 that occurs in W Punjab, W Rajasthan, and Kachchh (RA2012) as well as furva Koelz 1951 from Sihor, Kathiawar. The type specimen by Jerdon is listed from the southern part of the Indian Peninsula which was interpreted as Carnatic region (SE coastal plains) by Sharpe. Jerdon listed his specimens as M. javanica and Blyth quoted Jerdon's descriptions while describing this species. Apart from the listed type from NHMUK, three syntypes (ZSI#35359-61) are listed in ZSI register from Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu; which is in the Carnatic region. Currently, the species is very local in Carnatic. Investigation required as to why the type locality has been specified as the northern part of the Peninsula; which AR2001 revised as 'Northern Deccan'.
    Alternative Names: Red-winged Bushlark
    Distribution: Throughout the Indian subcontinent from Jammu, south through Delhi, west to Gujarat and east to W Bengal and W Odisha; south till SE Andhra and SC Karnataka; locally in Tamil Nadu. Absent from W coastal and E coastal plains as well as W and E Ghats.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1846.4.30.2 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, HYD
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
  • 746. Bengal Bushlark Plocealauda assamica (Horsfield, 1840) [HB#873]
    Original Description: Mirafra Assamica Horsfield, 1840 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Pt7 no.82 p. 162 (Assam)
    Alternative Names: Rufous-winged Bushlark (with P. affinis)
    Distribution: Along the Indo-Gangetic and Brahmaputra plains from Jammu, Punjab, through S Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi region, Uttar Pradesh, N Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, W Bengal, Odisha, Assam, E Arunachal; as well as all NE hill states.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.1.1.4732 (Holotype).
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, YPM, TNHM, BNHM
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
• Mirafra Horsfield, 1821 Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (1) 13 p.159 Mirafra javanica Horsfield, 1821; Type by monotypy
  • 747. Singing Bushlark Mirafra javanica Horsfield, 1821
    Original Description: Mirafra Javanica Horsfield, 1821 Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (1), 13 p.159
    Alternative Names: Horsfield's Bushlark
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 747a. Mirafra javanica cantillans Blyth, 1845 [HB#872]
      Original Description: Mirafra cantillans Blyth, 1845 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 13 p.960 (Bengal)
      Taxonomy: Sometimes treated as distinct from M. javanica as M. cantillans. Includes bangsi Koelz 1939 from Hosepete, N Karnataka.
      Distribution: Locally in W India from SW Kashmir (historical), Punjab (once), Delhi region, Rajasthan, W Gujarat, N Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (Bhedaghat, historical), SE Andhra, N Karnataka (Hubballi & Hosapete region, historical), S Karnataka (Mysuru region) till N and C Tamil Nadu. Historically, from S W Bengal.
      Type Specimen: ZSI#18956 (Holotype or Syntype?).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH
  
  
• Alauda Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.165 Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, 1758; Type by subsequent designation (Selby, 1825, Illustrations of British ornithology, 1, p.xxix)
  • 748. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula Franklin, 1831
    Alternative Names: Small Skylark
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 748a. Alauda gulgula inconspicua Severtsov, 1873 [HB#904]
      Original Description: Alauda inconspicua Severtsov, 1873 Izvestiya Imperatorskago Obshchestva Lyubitelei Estestvoznaniya, Antropologii i Etnografii 8 pt2 p.142
      Taxonomy: Includes punjaubi Whistler 1936 described from Firozpur, Punjab on the Sutlej river. Includes also dharmakumarsinhjii Abdulali 1976 from Bhavnagar, Gujarat; which is sometimes recognised as a subspecies (see IOC).
      Distribution: Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh till about C Bihar.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ
    • 748b. Alauda gulgula lhamarum Meinertzhagen & Meinertzhagen, 1926 [HB#905]
      Original Description: Alauda arvensis lhamarum Meinertzhagen & Meinertzhagen, 1926 Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 46 p.100 (Ladakh)
      Taxonomy: New name for guttata Brooks 1872 from Kashmir.
      Distribution: Gilgit, Ladakh, Kashmir, Lahaul-Spiti (Himachal), and Uttarakhand.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1887.7.1.3254 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM
    • 748c. Alauda gulgula australis Brooks, 1873 [HB#908]
      Original Description: Alauda Australis Brooks, 1873 Stray Feathers Vol. 1, N° 6 p.484, p.486-487 (Ootacamund, Nilgiris)
      Taxonomy: Not always recognised and subsumed under the nominate subspecies.
      Distribution: Coastal and midland Kerala as well as SW Ghats including outcrops like Nilgiri and Palani hills in W Tamil Nadu.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM, TNHM
    • 748d. Alauda gulgula inopinata Bianchi, 1905 [HB#906]
      Original Description: Alauda japonica inopinata Bianchi, 1905 Annuaire du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg 9 p.xxiv, xxx, xxxi
      Distribution: Breeding: N Sikkim. Non-breeding: N Bengal, S Sikkim, Brahmaputra plains of Assam and E Arunachal, and all NE hill states.
      Specimens: NHMUK
      Notes: Wintering population in NE hill states believed to be this subspecies; however, vernayi is also possible.
    • [Alauda gulgula vernayi Mayr, 1941 [HB#909a]]
      Original Description: Alauda arvensis vernayi Mayr, 1941 Ibis (14) 5 (3) p.375
      Distribution: Winter: W Arunachal.
      Notes: Likely in winter in NE India. Situation not investigated.
    • 748e. Alauda gulgula gulgula Franklin, 1831 [HB#907]
      Original Description: Alauda Gulgula Franklin, 1831 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 no.10 p.119 (The Ganga between Kolkata and Varanasi)
      Distribution: Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, W Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra down till E and C Tamil Nadu.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, RBINS, UMMZ, FMNH, YPM, BNHM
  
  
  • 749. Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, 1758
    Original Description: Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.165
    Alternative Names: Skylark
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 749a. Alauda arvensis dulcivox Hume, 1872 [HB#903]
      Original Description: Alauda dulcivox Hume, 1872 Stray Feathers Vol. 1, N° 1 p.39 (in text)
      Distribution: Winter: Gilgit, Ladakh, Kashmir, Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand (sporadic), Delhi region, N Uttar Pradesh (sporadic), N Bengal (vagrant), and NW Rajasthan.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, AMNH, MCZ
  
  
• Galerida Boie, 1828 Isis 21 col.321 Alauda cristata Linnaeus, 1758; Type by subsequent designation (Gray, 1840, A list of the genera of birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus, p.47)
  • 750. Tawny Lark Galerida deva (Sykes, 1832) [HB#902]
    Original Description: Alauda Deva Sykes, 1832 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 no.18 p.92,93 (Deccan [=Dukhun])
    Alternative Names: Sykes's Lark, Deccan Crested Lark, Sykes's Crested Lark
    Distribution: W India from Gujarat, E Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Deccan Karnataka till Mysuru and Bengaluru region; local in E Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh (around Raipur), N Tamil Nadu (around Coimbatore, Satyamangala, and Tiruvannamalai); straggler to Kerala coast.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.1.1.4574 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, TNHM, HYD
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Endemic: Endemic to India.
  
  
  • 751. Malabar Lark Galerida malabarica (Scopoli, 1786) [HB#901]
    Original Description: Alauda malabarica Scopoli, 1786 Deliciae Florae et Faunae Insubricae 2 p.94 (Malabar)
    Taxonomy: Suggested to be treated as conspecific with G. cristata (Alström et al. 2023, Avian Research 14 (100095): 13). Includes propinqua Koelz 1939 from Londa, NW Karnataka.
    Alternative Names: Malabar Crested Lark
    Distribution: W edge of the peninsula from S Gujarat through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and W Tamil Nadu.
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, TNHM, MYS, LKO
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Endemic: Endemic to India.
  
  
  • 752. Crested Lark Galerida cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Original Description: Alauda cristata Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.166
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 752a. Galerida cristata magna Hume, 1871 [HB#898]
      Original Description: Galerida magna Hume, 1871 Ibis (3) 1 (4) p.407-408
      Taxonomy: As per eBird/Clements taxonomy, these records could be of iwanowi Loudon & Zarudny, 1903 which is treated here as a junior synonym of the present subspecies. See Abdulali (1976, JBNHS 72 (2):318) for the details of the specimens (BNHS#9287,#18341) in the BNHS.
      Distribution: Winter: Gilgit (once) and Delhi (once) – both historically.
      Specimens: BNHS
    • 752b. Galerida cristata lynesi Whistler, 1928 [HB#900]
      Original Description: Galerida cristata lynesi Whistler, 1928 Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 49 p.52 (Gilgit)
      Distribution: Gilgit (historical).
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1897.12.10.2259 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, AMNH
    • 752c. Galerida cristata chendoola (Franklin, 1831) [HB#899a]
      Original Description: Alauda Chendoola Franklin, 1831 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 1 p.119 (Between Kolkata and Varanasi)
      Distribution: Ladakh, Kashmir, Jammu, S Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi region, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar (historical), N Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat; straggling to E Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, LKO, BNHM
  
  
• Eremophila Boie, 1828 Isis 21 col.322 Alauda alpestris Linnaeus, 1758; Type by subsequent designation (Gray, 1840, A list of the genera of birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus, p.47)
  • 753. Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Original Description: Alauda alpestris Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.166
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 753a. Eremophila alpestris albigula (Bonaparte, 1850) [HB#895a]
      Original Description: Otocoris albigula Bonaparte, 1850 Conspectus generum avium 1 p.246
      Taxonomy: Ghorbani et al. (2020, Journal of Ornithology 161: 309) includes this subspecies under the 'Mountain Horned Lark' clade (or Black-necklaced) E penicillata; separate from the 'Himalayan Horned Lark' (or Tibetan) clade E longirostris where the other two (elwesi and argalea) are also included. There is consistent support for this split (e.g., Alström et al. 2023, Avian Research 14 (100095): 13) and hence is a likely revision for the future.
      Distribution: Gilgit.
      Specimens: NHMUK, AMNH
      Notes: A single report from Delhi could have been this subspecies – has straggled once to Rawalpindi (AR2001).
    • 753b. Eremophila alpestris argalea (Oberholser, 1902)
      Original Description: Otocoris argalea Oberholser, 1902 Proceedings of the United States National Museum 24 p.806, p.871
      Taxonomy: Poorly differentiated form and doubtfully separable from elwesi (see Whistler 1932, Ibis 74 (3): 470 for a full treatment)
      Distribution: N Ladakh beyond Murgo and Aksai Chin.
      Specimens: RMNH
      Notes: Intergrades with longirostris between Saser La till Murgo (see Whistler 1932, Ibis 74 (3): 475); hence the Indian territory past Murgo till the official border belongs to the range of this subspecies. Specimens examined by Whistler could not be located but probably are in the NHMUK. Notably, Vaurie (1951, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 97 (5): 492) did not analyse the specimens from the range of this subspecies as he did not have any specimens.
    • 753c. Eremophila alpestris longirostris (Moore, 1856) [HB#896b]
      Original Description: Otocoris longirostris Moore, 1856 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 23 p.215 (Rohtang Pass, Kullu, Himachal)
      Taxonomy: Includes deosai R. & A. Meinertzhagen 1926 from Deosai plateau in Baltistan following Vaurie (1951, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 97 (5): 494). Another new subspecies deosaiensis Khan, 1999, also described from Deosai plateau, has not been accepted by any authority. Ghorbani et al. (2020, Journal of Ornithology 161: 309) suggests to treat deosaiensis as a synonym of this subspecies, as Vaurie had already examined other specimens from the same site. This population, however, has not been genetically sampled by any studies but purportedly belongs to the same clade as elwesi.
      Distribution: Kashmir, Baltistan, Zanskar, Rupshu, Lahaul-Spiti, and Rohtang pass.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1881.5.1.2145 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, YPM
      Notes: Uttarakhand sight records may pertain to this subspecies.
    • 753d. Eremophila alpestris elwesi (Blanford, 1872) [HB#897]
      Original Description: Otocoris Elwesi Blanford, 1872 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal p.227-228 (Kongra La, upper Lachen valley, Sikkim)
      Taxonomy: Intergrades with longirostris in C & E Ladakh along the Indus valley from Leh till Tso Kar (see Vaurie 1951, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 97 (5): 494).
      Distribution: E Ladakh (Pangong Tso and Chushul region), N Sikkim, NW Arunachal – straggling to S Sikkim, N Bengal, and Assam (once).
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.8.12.1 (Holotype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM
  
  
• Calandrella Kaup, 1829 Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Geschichte und natürliches System der Europäischen Thierwelt (etc.) p.39 Alauda brachydactyla Leisler, 1814; Type by monotypy
  • 754. Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler, 1814)
    Original Description: Alauda brachydactila Leisler, 1814 Annalen der Wetterauischen Gesellschaft für die gesammte Naturkunde 3 p.357 pl.19
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 754a. Calandrella brachydactyla longipennis (Eversmann, 1848) [HB#885]
      Original Description: Alauda longipennis Eversmann, 1848 Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 15 p.219
      Taxonomy: Subspecies orientalis Sushkin 1925 listed presumptively for S Asia as its winter range in IOC and Avilist. Not recognised in eBird/Clements, and perhaps may not be a distinct subspecies. Strevander et al. (2016, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 102: 233) did not sample that population to understand its true affinities.
      Distribution: Winter: Ladakh, Kashmir, Jammu, Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, Delhi region, W Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, N Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and N Maharashtra.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, FMNH, MCZ
      Notes: Reports from E and S India are likely misidentifications of Mongolian Short-toed Lark.
  
  
  • 755. Mongolian Short-toed Lark Calandrella dukhunensis (Sykes, 1832) [HB#886]
    Original Description: Alauda Dukhunensis Sykes, 1832 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 2, p.93 (Deccan [=Dukhun])
    Alternative Names: Eastern Short-toed Lark, Sykes's Short-toed Lark
    Distribution: Winter: S peninsula from Maharashtra, SE Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and S W Bengal – till the southern tip of the peninsula; sporadic or possibly in migration from N India including Ladakh, Himachal, Punjab, Delhi region, Bihar, Sikkim as well as Assam and Arunachal. Also reported from Andaman Is.
    Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.1.1.4740 (Holotype).
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM, TNHM, BNHM
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Distribution tentative as visual identification from Greater Short-toed Lark is nearly impossible. Gujarat reports possibly need aural evidence to be considered definitive.
  
  
  • 756. Hume's Short-toed Lark Calandrella acutirostris Hume, 1873
    Alternative Names: Hume's Lark
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Subspecies separation in the field is difficult and all recent winter records are tentatively assigned based on range.
    • 756a. Calandrella acutirostris acutirostris Hume, 1873 [HB#887]
      Original Description: Calandrella acutirostris Hume, 1873 Lahore to Yārkand (etc.) p.265
      Distribution: Summer: Gilgit, Kashmir, and Ladakh. Winter: Punjab, Haryana, Delhi region, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and N Maharashtra.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, USNM, YPM
    • 756b. Calandrella acutirostris tibetana Brooks, 1880 [HB#888]
      Original Description: Calandrella tibetana Brooks, 1880 Stray Feathers Vol. 8, N° 6 p.488
      Distribution: Summer: Ladakh, and N Sikkim (historical). Winter: Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, S W Bengal, S Sikkim, N Bengal and sporadic further east in Assam, Arunachal, and Tripura.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM
  
  
• Melanocorypha Boie, 1828 Isis 21 col.322 Alauda tatarica Pallas, 1773; Type by subsequent designation (Gray, 1840, A list of the genera of birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus, p.48) = Alauda yeltoniensis Forster, 1768
  • 757. Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata (Ménétries, 1832) [HB#892]
    Original Description: Alauda bimaculata Ménétries, 1832 Catalogue raisonné des objets de zoologie recueillis dans un voyage au Caucase et jusqu'aux frontières actuelles de la Perse p.37
    Alternative Names: Eastern Calandra Lark
    Distribution: Winter: E Himachal (Pong), Punjab, Uttarakhand (locally), Delhi region, S Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat; sporadically Gilgit (passage, historically at least), Maharashtra, Goa, and N Kerala.
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, TNHM
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
  • 758. Tibetan Lark Melanocorypha maxima Blyth, 1867 [HB#893-894]
    Original Description: Melanocorypha maxima Blyth, 1867 Ibis p.46, note
    Taxonomy: Includes holdereri Reichenow 1911, which is the subspecies assigned for birds in E Ladakh.
    Alternative Names: Long-billed Calandra Lark
    Distribution: Ladakh, N Sikkim.
    Specimens: NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
  
  
• Alaudala Horsfield & Moore, 1856 A catalogue of the birds in The Museum of the Hononrable East-India Company 2 p.471 Alauda raytal Blyth, 1844; Type by monotypy
  • 759. Sand Lark Alaudala raytal (Blyth, 1845)
    Alternative Names: Indian Short-toed Lark
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 759a. Alaudala raytal raytal (Blyth, 1845) [HB#891]
      Original Description: Alauda raytal Blyth, 1845 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 13 p.962 (Lucknow)
      Taxonomy: Includes vauriei Koelz 1954 from Palasbari, Assam.
      Distribution: Along the Indo-Gangetic plains from Punjab, till W Bengal; extending to Brahmaputra plains through Assam and E Arunachal.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, YPM
    • 759b. Alaudala raytal adamsi (Hume, 1871) [HB#889-890]
      Original Description: Alauda adamsi Hume, 1871 Ibis (3) 1 (4) p.405-406
      Taxonomy: Includes krishnakumarsinji Vaurie & Dharmakumarsinhji 1954 from Bhavnagar (Ganpule & Alström, 2022, IB 18 (5): 142).
      Distribution: Jammu, Punjab, Himachal, E Rajasthan (?), and Gujarat.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, AMNH, MCZ
      Notes: Photographs from Rajasthan not assessed to subspecies level – but this taxon expected there.
  
  
  • 760. Turkestan Short-toed Lark Alaudala heinei (Homeyer, 1873)
    Original Description: Calandritis Heinei Homeyer, 1873 Journal für Ornithologie 21. Jahrgang, Vierte Folge, 1. Band, III. Heft, No. 123 p.197
    Alternative Names: Lesser Short-toed Lark (with A. rufescens EL)
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Birds that belong to 'Lesser Short-toed Lark' complex, and probably Turkestan Short-toed Lark (vs Asian Short-toed Lark A. cheleensis), has been reported from Jammu, Rajasthan, Delhi region, Gujarat, W Bengal, and Kerala. See Christian (2019, IB 15 (3): 81), Ganpule (2019, IB 15 (4): 107).
    • 760a. Alaudala heinei persica Sharpe, 1890 [HB#888a]
      Original Description: [Alaudula pispoletta] Subsp. d, Alaudula persica Sharpe, 1890 Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum 22 p.590
      Distribution: Winter: Sirsa (Haryana) and Gilgit.
      Notes: Records of definitive persica, which is the regionally occurring form of heinei, are only based on two historical specimens examined in the past by competent taxonomists. However, those specimens remain untraced and are not present in NHMUK.