Australasian Skylark/Richard's Pipit behaviour (vertical descent) - a question [SEC=PERSONAL]

[martin butterfield <>]

I have always called the things that fly to great heights singing loudly plain 'Skylarks" Alauda arvensis but it appears from an examination of the Birdlife International website that there is not only a Japanese Skylark Alauda japonica but also an Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula so the "Eurasian' prefix to the species occurring here  is justified.  That site also referred to an Australasian Lark Mirafra javanica.  On looking up the Latin in HANZAB it turns out to be the Singing Bushlark for which the "Other English names" include Horsfields Bushlark or Australian Skylark.

However, if there are Singing Bushlarks at Gunghalin Hill I might take myself out there, as I have never persuaded one of these to cross my eyepieces!

Martin

On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 5:15 PM, <> wrote:

Hi Con,

Both Eurasian Skylarks and Australasian Pipits will drop rapidly and vertically in flight. This descent is sometimes achieved with the tail cocked and the wings swept back (more typical for pipits) - in a 'parachuting' mode somewhat similar to a Brown Songlark but not nearly as exaggerated. I would say that the pipits tend to float down a bit slower on average than is typical for Skylarks which can drop very quickly if not 'vertically' as you state.

Skylarks will often hover steadily at one height for minutes at time, often up to 100m up (or until they are virtually out of view, but you always still here them). I think this prolonged singing from on high is the main part of the display/territorial show and when they are done they will often stop singing completely and plummet rapidly. For them the show is over.

For the pipits, the show is as much about the descent and they will rarely maintain a prolonged hovering in a stationary position. They will often only ascend to 15-20m (rarely much more than 25m during display flights) and will often sing as strongly during the descent (which may be stepped - drop 4m, sing, drop 4m, sing etc). But variations upon this do include dropping steadily from 20m or so. The calls usually sort it out pretty easily too.

Overall, I would say it is much commoner to see a Skylark dropping quickly and vertically to the ground. The Aus Pipits display flights are far less prolonged and I think restricted to a much more condensed period of the year (it is probably more solely for attracting a mate than holding a territory through the spring-summer). But others may correct me on this.

I just noticed you wrote 'Australasian Skylark' so maybe I am answering the wrong question. Is this another name for 'Singing Bushlark' or 'Horsfield's Bushlark' that I am unaware of?

Cheers Dan

Dr Daniel Mantle
Timescales Project
Geoscience Australia

Ph. +61 (2) 6249 5831 (work)


-----Original Message-----
From: con [
Sent: Monday, 21 September 2009 4:47
To: COG list
Subject: Australasian Skylark/Richard's Pipit behaviour (vertical descent) - a question

Does anyone know which (or both) of skylarks and pipits drop rapidly and
vertically in flight? I saw this at Gungahlin Hill Nature Reserve the
other day and am hoping that the behaviour is diagnostic.

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