Eremophila bilopha
Habitats | Desert Plains, Inland Sand Dunes |
---|---|
Presence In Israel | Summer Breeder, Migrant |
Nesting In Israel | Breeder |
Migration Types | Nomad, Short Range / Partial |
Zoography Zones | Saharo-Arabian |
Landscape Formations | Plains & Valleys, Wide Wadis, Sand Dunes |
Vegetation Densities | Low |
Nest Locations | Ground |
Diet Types | Invertebrate, Herbivore |
Foraging Grounds | Ground |
Body Sizes | Small (up to 500g) |
Threat Factors | Plantations, Habitat Fragmentation, Human Activity |
Temminck’s Lark is a summer breeder and a rare passage migrant; a small portion of the population is probably resident. The distribution of breeding pairs varies from year to year, probably related to variations in precipitation and seasonal vegetation. It nests in Israel’s desert region: in the Western Negev in the Nitsana and Shivta area, in the Central Negev in the area of the Makhteshim, the Meshar and the Paran flats (rarely in the Tsin Valley as well) and in the Southern Negev in the large wadis and the Sayarim Valley. In each of these regions, nesting is sparse and fluctuates sharply from year to year. In the past, the species was far more common. In the 1960s and 1970s, hundreds of pairs nested throughout the Negev and the Arava, including several tens of birds that nested regularly in the Nitsana area. During the 1980s, the number of Temminck’s Larks in the Western Negev decreased to just a few pairs, apparently because of the lack of undisturbed suitable habitats (Shirihai 1996). In the 1990s, breeding in the Arava ceased as well.
Wide wadis, sandy and loess plains and hamada flats, occasionally with sparse vegetation in extreme desert areas.
Habitat modification – stabilization of shifting sands in the Western Negev and conversion of sandy and loess plains in the Negev and the Arava to settled and farmed areas, has considerably reduced the habitats suitable for Temminck’s Lark.
Direct disturbance – by military activity, grazing and hikers.
No specific conservation measures have been taken for this species to date.
- פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.
- פרלמן, י., אלתרמן, ש. וגרניט, ב. 2011. סקר עופות דוגרים בנחלים הפנימיים, אביב 2011. דו"ח מרכז הצפרות של החברה להגנת הטבע.
- פרלמן, י., שוחט, א. ולבינגר, ז. 2009. סקר אטלס ציפורים בערבה סיכום שנת 2009. דו"ח מרכז הצפרות של החברה להגנת הטבע.
- Perlman, Y., Shochat, E. and Labinger, Z. 2011. Developing Managment plan for important bird areas in southern Israel. second annual report, Nizzana region and Arava Valley.Israeli Ornithological center, SPNI.
- Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
- Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
- Species page at Birdlife International
Current Occupancy Map
Distribution maps
The maps presented here provide visual information on the distribution of species in Israel in the past and present, and the changes in occupancy and nesting density during the comparison period. For further reading
Relative Abundance 2010-2020
Breeding density values as calculated from observation records and expert opinions.
Relative Abundance 1980-1990
Breeding density values are based mainly on the book Birds of Israel (Shirihai 1996).
Occupancy difference 1990-2020
A map that expresses differences in the breeding distribution between the evaluation periods (1980-1990 versus 2010-2020). Negative value - species previously present but is currently absent, positive value - species has not been recorded previously and is currently present, zero - no change in occupancy.
Relative abundance difference 1990-2020
A map that reflects the changes in the relative abundance of the species between the evaluation periods (1980-1990 versus 2010-2020). Negative values - decline in abundance, positive values - increase in abundance, zero - no change in abundance.
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