Lesser Short-toed Lark

Calandrella rufescens

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Presence in the Strait: Occasional
Protection in Spain: Special protection (List)
In Spanish: Terrera marismeña

Length: 13–14 cm
Weight: 22 g

Presence in the Strait

Occasional. There are records of breeding in the Marismas del Palmones and Barbate prior to 1980. No further occurrences since then. Five other records: At Los Lances Beach on 6.08.76 (1), at Gibraltar on 16.09.80 (7), 30.09.80 (8) and 8.04.88 (3); and near Tarifa on 18.09.89 (1).

Identification

Similar to a Short-toed Lark but greyer and more evenly streaked, lacking neck patch and eye-line. Picidae Torcecuello Euroasiatico Alaudidae Terrera Común Terrera Marismeña

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Calendar in the Strait

24 %

Peak in September. Observations under CC0 or CC BY licences. The distribution also reflects observation effort.

Where it is seen

Open records from the atlas database, in cells of about 3.6 km. Opacity follows the square root of the count, and also reflects where people observe most.

See on the map

First open record: 1 August 1983
Latest record: 23 November 2024

The oldest and the most recent open observation in the extended area. A recent first observation does not mean the species is new: it means nobody had published it openly before.

Conservation

The catalogues, Andalusian and Spanish, are what binds; the Red Book assesses the Spanish population with IUCN criteria, and the global Red List is the context.

LCNTVUENCR

Andalusian Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Spanish Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Red Book of the Birds of Spain 2021: EX · Extinct (Canary Islands) · breeding
Global Red List (IUCN): LC · Least concern

Andalusian Catalogue: Junta de Andalucía, list of 24 April 2025. Spanish Catalogue: MITECO, table of 30 June 2025. Red Book: SEO/BirdLife, 2021 (Annex I). IUCN: via GBIF, 6 September 2026. Red Book and IUCN categories are assessments; catalogue categories are legal obligations.

Same genus in the Strait

Short-toed Lark14–14 cm · Seasonal · overlapping size

Species of the same genus that also occur here, ordered by how close they are in size. Being relatives does not mean they are confused in the field, but that is where the doubts start: compare size and season.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
GBIF taxon key: 8728578

Sources

Distribution and calendar: Bioestrecho's own database, ingested from GBIF and OBIS
Taxonomy: GBIF backbone, pending WoRMS for marine taxa
Editorial text: written by Bioestrecho
Last revised: 8 September 2026