Taxon name
Alauda arvensis
Linnaeus, 1758
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Alauda arvensis
Linnaeus, 1758
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Alauda arvensis (AERC TAC [2003]; AOU [1998 and supplements]; Christidis and Boles [2008]; Cramp et al. [1977-1994]; Dowsett and Forbes-Watson [1993]; Sibley and Monroe [1990, 1993]; Turbott [1990]) and A. japonica (Sibley and Monroe [1990, 1993]) have been lumped into A. arvensis following del Hoyo and Collar (2016).
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a very small non-breeding population. There was a suggestion that it was in decline in the late-1990s, but recent records instead suggest that the population is stable. The small population size does, however, mean it meets the threshold for listing as Endangered under criterion D.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The majority of occurrences of this species within the UAE are likely to be of wintering individuals (Pedersen et al. 2017). Numbers are highest in November to mid-March, when the species is fairly common in open areas near the coast (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). The species is rare in April and October (Pedersen et al. 2017). Individuals wintering in the UAE breed in north-eastern Europe and central Russia (Richardson 1990).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species occurs in a variety of open habitats, including high and low grasslands, scrubland, cultivated fields, golf courses and large parks (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It avoids deserts (Richardson 1990). There is no information available about its diet in the UAE; elsewhere during winter, it is primarily herbivorous and feeds on seeds and other plant material (Donald and Garcia 2014). During winter, it forms flocks of more than 20 individuals (Richardson 1990). The species is migratory and breeds from late March to August and September throughout Eurasia.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Predation by cats,;Felis catus,;has been noted to cause local declines in Crested Larks on the Arabian Peninsula (Symes;et al.;2015), and it is plausible that this would be an potential threat to this species within the UAE. Overgrazing outside of Protected Areas could be be an additional threat within UAE.The main cause of global decline in this species is agricultural intensification. Recent research indicates the principal causes are changes in management of cereal-growing and grassland in its breeding range (leading to reduced nesting and foraging opportunities, and reduction of food resources [Donald and Garcia 2014]). In grasslands high fertiliser applications lead to vegetation that is too tall and dense for nesting. High hunting pressure in some countries poses an additional threat (Donald and Garcia 2014). However, it is uncertain to what extent these global threats impact the individuals that visit UAE, especially as records suggest the visiting population is stable (per R. Sheldon in litt. 2019).
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.
Publication
Burfield, I.J., Westrip, J., Sheldon, R.D., Hermes, C., Wheatley, H., Smith, D., Harding, K.A. Allen, D.J. and Alshamsi, O. 2021. UAE National Red List of Birds. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
