Blandford’s Lark is a scarce medium-sized lark
that occurs in a very limited number if sites in southwest Saudi Arabia. It had
not been seen for many years until recently when some birds were found at Azeeza
near Abha. Whilst birding the southwest recently Phil Roberts and I found a
number of birds, probably more than ten, coming down to drink at a small area
of water in a stony wadi, in the Tale’a Valley, a new area some distance from
Abha. Whilst walking around this same area a few days later we saw a few birds
feeding on the dry and stony landscape including both juveniles and adults. Birds are obvious when seen as the adults
have a rufous crown and sometimes erect their crown feathers to form a prominent
short crest. Race eremica found in
southwest Saudi Arabia and Yemen has a darker rufous crown with blackish
lateral streak anteriorly a b.lackish loral streak and a yellower bill. The
other races are found in northern Eritrea and northern Somalia. Birds occur
mainly on open grassland and bare ground, including stony areas. Generally found
in wadis with occasional bushes and scattered trees in Arabia where it occurs mainly
between 1800–2500 metres.
