Habitat
Open plains, shrub-steppe and high steppe dotted with wormwood (Artemisia spp.) and alfalfa (Stipa spp.) on hard or pebbly soils, avoiding sand. From 50 - 1,550 m, but mainly over 1,000 m.
Algeria, Egypt, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Spain (B) (NB), Tunisia.
Vagrant to Cyprus, France, Greece (P), Italy, Malta, Portugal (E) (B).
Population
Estimated population is 35,000 (2010) and decreasing.
Status NT
Habitat destruction and degradation through overgrazing or undergrazing and agricultural development, reforestation schemes, are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Dupont's Lark (Chersophilus duponti) [XC388644]
by Geoffrey Monchaux from el planer\u00f3n, belchite, zaragoza, arag\u00f3n, Spain (song)
Dupont's Lark (Chersophilus) [XC798904]
by Franck HIDVEGI from Timoneda d'Alf\u00e9s, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain (call)
Subspecies
Relationships uncertain. Subspecies well differentiated. However, populations from Morocco east to northern Tunisia somewhat intermediate in colour between nominate and margaritae, and locally rather variable.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
duponti (Vieillot, 1820) - Spain (mainly eastern Castilla y León and Aragón, also western Castilla y León near Portuguese border, eastern Castilla-La Mancha and south-eastern Andalucía), Morocco (mostly in north-east, east of Midelt and R Moulouya, also some recent records from south of Great Atlas) and northern Algeria (Hauts Plateaux).
margaritae (Koenig, AF, 1888) - Algeria (southern slopes of Atlas Mts east to Biskra), south-eastern Tunisia, northern Libya and coastal western Egypt.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet