Gillett's Lark (Mirafra gilletti) [XC81267]
by Andrew Spencer from Near Harfata, old Hargeisa to Burao Road, Somaliland, Somalia, Somalia (song)
Gillett's Lark (Mirafra gilletti) [XC267267]
by Hans Matheve from Awash National Park, Ethiopia (song)
Subspecies
Mirafra degodiensis (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993; Dowsett and Forbes-Watson 1993) has been lumped with Gillett's Lark (Mirafra gilletti) following Collar et al. (2009).
Widely regarded as forming a superspecies with Degodi Lark (Mirafra degodiensis), the two occuring within 50 km of each other with no known overlap in ranges, although region is poorly known ornithologically. Has also been suggested to form a superspecies with Rusty Lark (Mirafra rufa) and the taxon poecilosterna, although genetic evidence indicates that latter better placed in genus Calendulauda. Also bears close resemblance to subspecies intercedens of Foxy Lark (Calendulauda alopex), and thus possibly better shifted to that genus. Subspecies arorihensis intergrades with nominate in north-western Somalia.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
gilletti Sharpe, 1895 - Eastern Ethiopia, western Somalia and extreme north-eastern Kenya.
arorihensis Érard, 1976 - Somalia.
degodiensis Érard, 1976 - South-eastern Ethiopia. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Degodi Lark (Mirafra degodiensis).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet