| י 326) אלימון | ||||||||||
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:אלימון עפרוני גדול, מקורו הארוך והכפוף בקצהו והניגוד של השחור . והלבן בקצות כנפיו מזכיר את הדוכיפת . חלקי גופו העליונים בצבע חום-חולי, גחונו לבן והחזה מנוקד בנקודות חומות כהות . הזכר גדול במקצת מן הנקבה בשאר הדברים אין הבדל . האלמון בריצתו על פני הקרקע בעזרת רגליו הגבוהות והחזקות, דומה לרץ מדבר קטן . בית גידולו מדבריות , ניתן לראותו באזורים צחיחים וחוליים ולעיתים בחמדות ומישורי לס . מזונו העיקרי זחלי חיפושיות אותם הוא מלקט מתוך החול . בארץ יציב לא שכיח בערבה ובמישורי הנגב ... כנף רננים נעלסה ... איוב לט' יג | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
A. a. alaudipes N Africa from Mauritania to Sudan, Sinai and Israel . A. a. boavistae Cape Verde Is. A. a. doriae Iran E to N-W India. A. a. desertorum Coasts of Red Sea from Port Sudan to N-E Somalia and Aden. םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
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Descriptive notes.
18-20 cm, 35-46 g, wingspan 33-41 cm. Large, upright lark with long, curved bill. Plumage essentially sandy-grey above and stone-white below, with little relief except for face marks, dark spots on breast, and transverse dull black and ohite bands on folded wing. Appearance in flight dramatically different, with black and white bands on both wing surfaces. Sexes similar, no seasonal variation. Habitat. From arid tropics and subtropics to fringe of Mediterranean zone. Mainly in flat or gently undulating lowlands, but including palteaux up to 2000 m in Baluchistan and Pakistan. Requires ready access to sand or soft soil for probing, and thus favours wadis with sandy beds, small or even large dunes, abandoned cultivation, vehicle tracks, roadsides, sandy steppe with grass and salt marsh, with either dense or sparse vegetation. Food and Feeding. Mainly largely insects and, where available, snails, also sometimes a little plant material. Much animal food obtained by digging with bill. Walks slowly along and, without appearing to pause and listen, suddenly stops to dig fiercely. Prey thus taken are normally insect larvae, but has been to dig out and kill a small geco (kind of lizard). Breeding. Oct-Feb in Cape Verde Is. Feb-May in N Africa, May in Iraq, Mar in Saudi Arabia. Nest in or on top of tussock or low shrub. Perhaps less often, on ground in shelter of rock or bush. The nest when above ground, constructed of twigs woven into bush, and lined with softer material, on ground, in shallow scrape lined with twigs and with soft inner lining of wool and plant down. 2-3 eggs, smooth and glossy, white to pale buff, variably spotted and blotched reddish-brown, with underlyint lavender and grey markings. Incubation abut 2 weeks by female. Movements. Mainly resident and widespread throughout the deserts and smi-deserts, and with movement mainly apparent from extralimital occurrences. Sedentary in N Africa. Capacity for dispersal in response to changing climatic conditions, of breeding range to Senegal and possibly N Algeria. Similarly resident in Middle East breeding areas. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. Most common in Middle East, common in Morocco, Algeria and Iraq. Israel. In Israel subspecies A.a. alaudipes. Scarce local resident in N C and S Arava and E S Negev. |
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