Oriental Skylark

SCI Name:  Alauda gulgula
Protonym:  Alauda Gulgula Proc.Zool.Soc.London Pt1 no.10 p.119
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Alaudidae / Alauda
Taxonomy Code:  orisky1
Type Locality:  Ganges between Calcutta and Benares, or Vindhya Hills; restricted to between Calcutta and Benares by Whistler, 1936, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 38, p. 767.
Author:  Franklin
Publish Year:  1831
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ALAUDA
(Alaudidae; Ϯ Eurasian Skylark A. arvensis) L. alauda  lark; according to Pliny this was the Celtic name, meaning “great songstress,” for the Skylark < al  great; aud  song; "93. ALAUDA.  Rostrum cylindrico-subulatum, rectum, recta protensum: Mandibulis æqualibus, basi deorsum dehiscentibus.  Lingua bifida.  Unguis posticus rectior, digito longior." (Linnaeus 1758); "Alauda Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, p. 165. Type, by subsequent designation, Alauda arvensis Linnaeus (Selby, 1825, Ill. Brit. Orn., 1 (Land Birds), p. xxix)." (Peters 1960, IX, p. 65). Linnaeus's Alauda comprised nine species (A. arvensis, A. pratensis, A. arborea, A. campestris, A. trivialis, A. cristata, A. Spinoletta, A. alpestris, A. magna).
Var. Audala, Aulada, Alanda.
Synon. Corydalis, Razocorys.

alauda
L. alauda lark.
● ex “Tracal” of Levaillant 1806, pl. 191 (unident.; ?Melanocorypha yeltoniensis).

Calandra
Unattested L. calandra  Calandra Lark  < Gr. καλανδρος kalandros  Calandra Lark (Eddie Germiquet in litt.). "Calandre.  Il semble que la diction Calandre vienne aux Françoys de la Greque Coridalus. Plusieurs s'abusent, prenants la grande espece de Grive pour Calandre, qui est erreur commune à plusieurs pourvoyeurs de la court. Les anciens n'ont fait aucune mention de la Calandre que l'ayons peu sçavoir, aussi est-ce un oyseau qu'on ne voirroit en France, n'estoit qu'on l'eust apporté en cage. Sa voix est hautaine, & chante melodieusement. C'est une espece d'Alouëtte, tellement que pour avoir la perspective de la Calandre, il se faut imaginer voir une Alouëtte, quasi aussi grande qu'un Estourneau. Parquoy qui diroit que la Calandre est une grande Alouëtte, ne faudroit" (Belon 1555).
● (Emberizidae; ?syn. Emberiza) Doubtless based on "Calandra" of Aldrovandus 1599 (= Emberiza calandra) (see Bengalis).
● (Alaudidae; syn. Melanocorypha Ϯ Calandra Lark M. calandra) "D'autres ont le bec si gros qu'on pourrait, sous ce rapport, les rapprocher des moineaux. Telle est La Calandre. (Al. calandra.) Enl., 363, 2.  ... Mais surtout L'Alouette de Tartarie. (Al. Tatarica et mutabilis et tanagra Sibirica Gm.) Sparm., Mus. Carls., pl. xix" (Cuvier 1817); "Alauda, Sirli, Calandra" (Oken 1817); "29. An European Calander (Calandra Buffonii).  Presented by Dr Leach" (Brookes 1830); "CONIROSTRES. Les Alouettes. - Alouette, Alauda; Calandre, Calandra; Sirli, ---?" (Wood 1836).
Var. Alanda.
● (Alaudidae; syn. Melanocorypha Ϯ Mongolian Lark M. mongolica) "4. Alauda mongolica, Pall. Itin. App. p. 697. No. 19. = Alauda (Calandra) mongolica. This is a very distinct species belonging to the subgenus Calandra or Melanocorypha, Boié, together with Alauda tatarica, A. leucoptera, Pall. and A. bimaculata, Menetries (Catal. des objets de zoologie du Caucase)" (Brandt 1843).

gulgula
Probably an autochthonym; "65. ALAUDA GULGULA.  Al. pallide rufescenti-brunnea, plumis in medio late et intense brunneo lineatis; subtus albescens, pectore brunneo lineato; femoribus rufescentibus; rectricibus brunneis, externa utrinque fere tota, secundæ pogonio externo, albis.  Statura fere præcedentis [Alauda chendoola]." (Franklin 1831, Proc. Commn. Zool. Soc. London, 1, 119); perhaps a reference to the song of the Oriental Skylark (L. gula  throat), although Gulgul is a name for the Indian Mynah Acridotheres in Madhya Pradesh, Gangular is a Nepali name for the rubythroat Calliope, and Langton 1920, records that gulgula in Punjabi means “globular” (Alauda).

SUBSPECIES

Oriental Skylark (inconspicua)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula inconspicua
inconspicua / inconspicuus
L. inconspicuus  unremarkable, inconspicuous, inglorious, invisible  <  in-  not; conspicuus  visible, conspicuous  < conspicere  to perceive.

Oriental Skylark (lhamarum)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula lhamarum
lhamarum
Mod. L. lhamarum of the lhamas or lamas (lama, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher, monk or high priest).

Oriental Skylark (weigoldi)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula weigoldi
weigoldi / weigoldicus
Dr Max Hugo Weigold (1886-1973) German zoologist, pioneer bird-ringer, collector in China and Tibet (the first European to see a live Giant Panda) (subsp. Alauda gulgula, syn. Carduelis carduelis parva, subsp. Emberiza cioides, syn. Galerida cristata subtaurica, syn. Lanius senator, subsp. Lophophanes cristatus, syn. Luscinia svecica, syn. Motacilla citreola calcarata, syn. Nannus troglodytes, subsp. Phylloscopus fuscatus, subsp. Poecile montanus, syn. Poecile montanus weigoldicus, subsp. Schoeniparus brunneus).

Oriental Skylark (inopinata)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula inopinata
inopinata / inopinatum / inopinatus
L. inopinatus unexpected, unlooked for  < in-  not; opinatus  supposed  < opinari  to suppose.
• "Alauda japonica inopinata  ...  Ab Al arvensi typica et Al. arvensi blakistoni ala rotundata rostroque longiore, ab Al. gulgula ejusque subspeciebus coloratione corporis superioris intense rufa, non cinerascenti, ab Al. japonica typica colore laeto rufescenti, haud sordide pallide-cinammomeo signisque medianis nigricantibus angustioribus, ab Al. japonica coelivoci praeterea longitudine ulnae minore differt.  Subspecies finium orientalium Tibeti indigena."(Bianchi 1904) (subsp. Alauda gulgula).
• "According to Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, C. c. africana (his capensis) inhabits "South Africa, south of about 15o  S. lat., Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoro Islands, Cape Verd Islands, Canaries, Madeira, and Azores."  This would be a most astounding distribution and requires much investigation and alteration.  It would mean that the same form inhabited South Africa and the Cape Verd Isles, with no such Quail in an area of 25 degrees of latitude between the two areas, i.e. the Cunene River and the Cape Verd Islands.  But, worse luck, the Quail, inhabiting the Cape Verd Islands is not at all of the group of africana!  ...  I name the Cape Verd Quail:  Coturnix coturnix inopinata subsp. nov." (Hartert 1917) (subsp. Coturnix coturnix).
• "Melithreptus albogularis inopinatus   (White-throated Honeyeater).   Dorsum dull citrine, size large  ... Range: coastal east Australia, north to east foot of Cape York Peninsula, south to Macleay River, N. S. W., and inland to Great Dividing Range.  ...  Nominotypical albogularis, which ranges across northern Australia east to Cape York Peninsula, is brighter citrine dorsally and small" (Schodde 1989) (subsp. Melithreptus albogularis).
• "CHALCURUS INOPINATUS, n. sp.  ...  Of this remarkable new species the Bornean hunters of Mr. John Waterstradt obtained three males and two females in the State of Ulu Pahang, in the centre of the Malay Peninsula.  ...  This is perhaps the most interesting discovery recently made in the Malay Peninsula, only rivalled by that of the Rheinardtius, which occurs in the same country." (Rothschild 1903) (Polyplectron).
• "SERICORNIS MACULATUS.   SPOTTED SCRUB-WREN   ...   That many more subspecies would be named was certain from the published accounts such as Milligan's from the Wongan Hills, West Australia and Alexander from the Perth district.  Further, in the British Museum is a form of this species from Lithgow, New South Wales, suggesting that it occurs inland through that State.  These birds are darker above with less rufous tinge than South Australian birds and thr flanks are noticeably darker.  These may be called:  Sericornis maculatus inopinatus subsp. nov." (Mathews 1922) (syn. Sericornis frontalis).

Oriental Skylark (vernayi)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula vernayi
vernayi / verneyi
Arthur Stannard Vernay (1877-1960) English/US antiquarian, collector, sponsor, Trustee of AMNH (subsp. Alauda gulgula, subsp. Cecropis daurica, subsp. Cyornis poliogenys, subsp. Dendrocitta vagabunda, Gymnobucco, subsp. Leiothrix argentauris, subsp. Lonchura kelaarti, subsp. Rhipidura albogularis, subsp. Tephrodornis virgatus).

Oriental Skylark (gulgula)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula gulgula
gulgula
Probably an autochthonym; "65. ALAUDA GULGULA.  Al. pallide rufescenti-brunnea, plumis in medio late et intense brunneo lineatis; subtus albescens, pectore brunneo lineato; femoribus rufescentibus; rectricibus brunneis, externa utrinque fere tota, secundæ pogonio externo, albis.  Statura fere præcedentis [Alauda chendoola]." (Franklin 1831, Proc. Commn. Zool. Soc. London, 1, 119); perhaps a reference to the song of the Oriental Skylark (L. gula  throat), although Gulgul is a name for the Indian Mynah Acridotheres in Madhya Pradesh, Gangular is a Nepali name for the rubythroat Calliope, and Langton 1920, records that gulgula in Punjabi means “globular” (Alauda).

Oriental Skylark (coelivox)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula coelivox
coelivox
L. coelum  heaven; vox, vocis  voice.

Oriental Skylark (wattersi)
SCI Name: Alauda gulgula wattersi
wattersi
Thomas Watters (1840-1901) British diplomat, Sinologist, Vice-Consul / Consul in China, Formosa and Korea 1863-1894 (subsp. Alauda gulgula, syn. Picoides canicapillus kaleensis).