Melanocorypha bimaculata

The Bimaculated Lark is classified as Regionally Extinct (RE). It became extinct in the early 2000s and since then no nesting attempts have been observed in Israel, (it is now only a passage migrant). In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as Critically Endangered (CR). The change in the threat category is a reflection of its decline in Israel, i.e. the disappearance of the few pairs that nested in the northern Golan Heights.

Habitats	Mediterranean Batha, Mountainous Terrain
Presence In Israel	Summer
Breeding In Israel	Bred in the past
Migration Types	Long Range
Zoographical Zones	Irano-Turanian
Landscape Types	Mountainous
Vegetation Types	Steppe, Herbaceous
Vegetation Densities	Low
Nest Locations	Ground
Diet Types	Herbivore
Foraging Grounds	Ground
Body Sizes	Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors	Tree planting, Habitat loss and fragmentation

The Bimaculated Lark is a relatively large, stocky lark, with long wings and a short tail. A bit smaller and delicate than the Calandra Lark, distinguished by its more pronounced head pattern, the absence of a white trailing edge on the wing and the pale tail feather tips. Flight call is hoarse and harsh.

The Bimaculated Lark bred in the northern Golan Heights in a few scattered colonies until the late 1980s. About 50 pairs nested southwest of Majdal Shams, on Mt. Keta, Mt. Kramim and Mt. Hermonit (Shirihai 1996). During the 1990s, the number of birds decreased sharply due to habitat destruction resulting from the expansion of orchards and stone and tuff quarries. Towards the end of the decade, only a few pairs remained (Mayrose & Alon 2001). Since the early 2000s, no nesting activity of Bimaculated Larks has been observed in the northern Golan Heights. The Golan Heights population was a summer breeding population. Today the species migrates through Israel, is more common in spring, and is a rare winter visitor in the Arava.

The Bimaculated Lark nested on mountains at altitudes above 1,000 meters in the northern Golan Heights in patches of low native shrubland.

Habitat destruction due to expansion of settlements, deciduous orchard plantings, and tuff and sandstone quarrying, which significantly reduced suitable nesting habitats for Bimaculated Larks in the northern Golan Heights.

The Bimaculated Lark bred on the Mt. Hermon slopes and on mountaintops in the northern Golan Heights until the early 2000s. Its disappearance is probably due to habitat loss (montane herbaceous shrubland) because of agricultural planting and tuff and sandstone quarrying; however, they may be experiencing habitat loss also on their wintering grounds in Africa. There is a probability of the species returning to breed in Israel naturally, depending on the availability of suitable 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.

• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International