Sun Lark (Galerida modesta) [XC367150]
by Asher Warkentin from Mole National Park, Ghana, Ghana (flight call)
Sun Lark (Galerida modesta) [XC440464]
by Bram Piot from Kati, Koulikoro, Mali (song)
Subspecies
Has been considered to form a superspecies with Large-billed Lark (Galerida magnirostris), also including Short-tailed Lark (Spizocorys fremantlii) when that placed in present genus, but differences appear too great for such treatment to be warranted. Birds from Burkina Faso east to western Sudan named as subspecies giffardi (often erroneously spelt as giffordi), but indistinguishable from nominate.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
modesta Heuglin, 1864 - Southern Senegambia, southern Mali and northern Ivory Coast east to south-western and southern Sudan.
nigrita (Grote, 1920) - Guinea and northern Sierra Leone.
struempelli (Reichenow, 1910) - Highlands of northern Cameroon.
bucolica (Hartlaub, 1887) - South-eastern Central African Republic, north-eastern DRCongo and extreme north-western Uganda.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet