Voice
A short 'tseet' or 'tew=tew' uttered in flight. Song is very high-pitched, un-lark-like mixture of descending, metallic sounding 'tinks' and whistles, normally given before dawn.
Gray's Lark (Ammomanopsis grayi) [XC65276]
by Niall Perrins from Doros Crater area, Namibia (song)
Gray's Lark (Ammomanopsis grayi) [XC185636]
by id from National West Coast Tourist Recreational Area, Erongo, Namibia (song)
Subspecies
Traditionally placed in genus Ammomanes and in the past thought to form a superspecies with Desert Lark (Ammomanes deserti), but apparent similarities now attributed to convergence. Genetic evidence indicates that it is much closer to Certhilauda and Chersomanes. Upperpart coloration closely linked to soil colour, darker in north; pale birds reappear on whitish sands in far north of range (south to extreme north-western Namibia), may represent an undescribed taxon.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
hoeschi (Niethammer, 1955) - Coastal plain of south-western Angola and north-western Namibia (south to Cape Cross).
grayi (Wahlberg, 1855) - Coastal plain of central and southern Namibia.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet