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Melanocorypha bimaculata

warning Regionally Extinct
RE

Contributed: Lior Kislev, Avner Rinot

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.
RE Current Regional Assessment | CR Previous Regional Assessment | LC World Assessment

Habitats Mediterranean Batha, Mountainous Terrain
Presence In Israel Summer Breeder
Nesting In Israel Past Breeder
Migration Types Long Range
Zoography Zones Irano-Turanian
Landscape Formations Mountainous
Vegetation Formations Steppe, Herbaceous
Vegetation Densities Low
Nest Locations Ground
Diet Types Herbivore
Foraging Grounds Ground
Body Sizes Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors Plantations, Habitat 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.
Contributed: Lior Kislev, Avner Rinot

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.


Rarity
Vulnerability
Attractiveness
Endemism
Red number
Peripherality

IUCN category
Definition

() districts
Disjunctiveness:
% of protected sites

Other Species

Melanocorypha calandra
Calandrella cinerea
Alaemon alaudipes
Ammomanes deserti