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Eremophila alpestris

warning Vulnerable
VU (D1)

Contributed: Asaf Mayrose, Avner Rinot
Update Time: Jan. 1, 2011, 7:39 a.m.

The Horned Lark is classified as Vulnerable (VU) because of the extremely small size of its breeding population in Israel (less than 250), combined with a regional adjustment for the fact that the population breeding on Mt. Hermon is marginal and at the edge of the global range of the species. In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as Near Threatened (NT). The change in its threat category does not reflect an actual change in its population and range, but rather differences in the assessment methods.
VU Current Regional Assessment | NT Previous Regional Assessment | LC Global Assessment

Habitats Rocky Terrain
Presence In Israel Summer
Breeding In Israel Breeder
Migration Types Short Range / Partial
Zoographical Zones Alpine
Landscape Types Mountainous
Vegetation Types Steppe, Herbaceous
Vegetation Densities Low
Nest Locations Ground
Diet Types Invertebrate, Herbivore
Foraging Grounds Ground
Body Sizes Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors Habitat loss and fragmentation

A medium-sized lark that breeds in arid, barren mountainous landscapes. Identified by its distinctive head pattern that includes a black mask and bib and two “horns” protruding from the sides of its head. The remaining body parts are cryptically colored brown-grey that conceal the bird in its rocky environment.

The Horned Lark breeds only on Mt. Hermon at altitudes of 1,900 meters and above. The population on the Israeli part of Mt. Hermon is estimated at about 50 pairs (Israeli & Perlman 2013).

The Horned Lark population is threatened by development on the upper Mt. Hermon that includes roads, ski run and other installations.

No specific conservation measures have been taken for this species to date.

Development works on Mt. Hermon should be kept to minimum in order to reduce their impact on natural habitats.

  • ישראלי, נ. ופרלמן, י. 2013. סיכום סקר עופות מקננים בחרמון. דו"ח מרכז הצפרות של החברה להגנת הטבע.
  • פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.
  • שוחט, א., פרלמן, י., שני, א., עובדיה, ע., ישראלי, נ., פרלמן, ג. ואלון, ד. 2009. טיבוע ציפורים ארוך טווח בחרמון: תמורות בהרכב החברה ובדינאמיקה של אוכלוסיות.
Contributed: Asaf Mayrose, Avner Rinot

Current Occupancy Map

Current occupancy map by density
Data Missing Sporadic Limited Sites Low Density High Density
0 0 0 0 0

Distribution maps

The maps presented here provide visual information on the distribution of species in Israel from the past and present, and the changes in occupancy and breeding density during the comparison period. For further reading


Relative Abundance 2010-2020

Breeding density values in the current decade as determined from experts' opinion and observations from databases.

Relative Abundance 2010-2020 by density
Data Missing Sporadic Limited Sites Low Density High Density
8 12 12 21 19

Relative Abundance 1980-1990

Density values based primarily on the book The Birds of Israel (Shirihai 1996).

Relative Abundance 1980-1990 by density
Data Missing Sporadic Limited Sites Low Density High Density
5 14 14 17 22

Occupancy 1990-2020

The map shows differences in the species breeding distribution between the 1980's breeding map and the current weighted breeding evaluation. Negative value - species previously bred in the grid and is not presently breeding; positive value - species has not previously bred in the grid and is currently breeding.

Occupancy 1990-2020
Data Missing No Change Occupancy Increase Occupancy Decrease
6 35 1 9

Change in Relative Abundance 1990-2020

The map shows the changes in the relative abundance of a species in each of the distribution grids between the breeding map of the 1980s and the weighted current breeding evaluation. Negative values - decline in abundance; positive values - increase in abundance; zero - no change in abundance.

Change in Relative Abundance 1990-2020
80 to 100 50 20 to 30 No Change 30- to 20- 50- 100- to 80- Data Missing
0 4 2 22 12 14 11 16

Rarity
Vulnerability
Attractiveness
Endemism
Red number
Peripherality
IUCN category
Threat Definition according to the red book
() districts
Disjunctiveness:
% of protected sites

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