Vocalizations and song flight of Pink-billed Lark Spizocorys conirostris

Abstract

Pink-billed Lark Spizocorys conirostris is an unobtrusive bird with a relatively low reporting rate of ~10% in the second South African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2). Little is known about the species’ vocalizations and song flight, and published descriptions are vague or confus-ing. Here I provide a detailed description of vocalizations and song flights as recorded between 2012 and 2019 in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Vocalizations were recorded using a digital recorder for calls in flight and occasionally on the ground, or were obtained from a video camera placed near the nest to record vocalizations that would be impossible to record from a distance. Twelve categories of vocalizations were identified, eight of them described here for the first time. The majority of the eight newly described vocalizations were obtained from video footage. A more detailed description of the song flight is also provided and should clarify some of the confusing descriptions provided in the literature. Knowledge of the flight song of Pink-billed Lark is valuable to locate and identify the species and will be an asset for moni-toring programmes and SABAP2.