Thekla's lark, also known as the Thekla lark, is a species of lark that breeds on the Iberian Peninsula, in northern Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia. It is a sedentary (non-migratory) species. This is a common bird of dry open country, often at some altitude. Thekla's lark was named by Alfred Edmund Brehm in 1857 for his recently deceased sister Thekla Brehm (1833–1857). The name is a modern Greek one, Θέκλα, which comes from ancient Greek Θεόκλεια (Theokleia) derived from θεός and κλέος. The population is declining in Spain, but this is a common bird with a very wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Region
Mediterranean Basin, Sahel, and Horn of Africa
Typical Environment
Found across the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and discontinuously through the Sahel to the Horn of Africa. It favors dry, open country with scattered bushes, semi-desert scrub, stony slopes, fallow fields, and steppe-like terrain. The species often uses rocks, shrubs, or small trees as song posts but forages mainly on bare or sparsely vegetated ground. In East Africa it frequents arid acacia scrub and lightly grazed savanna.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Often confused with the Crested Lark, Thekla's lark shows a spikier crest, heavier breast streaking, and a shorter, slightly decurved bill. It was named by Alfred Edmund Brehm in 1857 after his sister Thekla Brehm. Males deliver rich, varied songs from prominent perches or in fluttering song-flights. It nests on the ground, typically in a small scrape hidden among stones or low shrubs.
Eggs of Galerida theklae MHNT
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with shallow undulations
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, defending breeding territories in the spring. The nest is a ground scrape lined with fine vegetation, with clutches commonly of 3–5 eggs. Pairs are monogamous in a season, and outside breeding they may gather loosely where food is concentrated.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, melodious series of trills, whistles, and rattling phrases, often more varied than the Crested Lark. Delivered from a perch such as a rock or shrub, or during a fluttering display flight. Calls include tinkling and churring notes.
