Asian Short-toed Lark Alaudala cheleensis is a small, uncrested, short-billed lark with cinnamon streaking across breast and long primary projection. Mainly resident Turkmenistan to Mongolia, northern China, and southern Russian Far East. In China nominate southeast Xinjiang to Qinghai and northeast Tibet, Gansu, and northern and Northeast China. Also seebohmi northern Xinjiang. Lives on arid steppes and pastures with low vegetation and much bare ground. On Tibetan Plateau occurs to 4000 m (13,120 ft.). Photo: A. c. cheleensis, Golmud (36.481197, 94.803777), Qinghai, China, elev. 2780 m (9,100 ft.), July. (Craig Brelsford)Note stubby bill, considerable extension of primaries beyond short tertials (Panel 2), and streaked breast (4). Hume’s Short-toed LarkCalandrella acutirostris and Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla show tertials overlapping primary tips and weaker streaking across breast. A. c. cheleensis, semi-desert near Jinzi Lake (36.719109, 97.886371), Qinghai, elev. 2990 m (9,800 ft.), August. (Craig Brelsford)Asian Short-toed Lark A. c. seebohmi, northern Jungar Basin (47.919510, 86.835388), Xinjiang, elev. 480 m (1,570 ft.), May. Race seebohmi is paler than cheleensis. (Craig Brelsford)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
de Juana, E. and F. Suárez. Species account for Lesser Short-toed Lark in family Alaudidae (Larks). Pp. 585–6 in del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 9. Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain, 2004.
MacKinnon, John. Guide to the Birds of China. Oxford University Press, 2022.
