NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Sykes's Lark
Galerida deva (Sykes, 1832)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Sykes's lark (Galerida deva) is a species of lark found in the dry open country of India. Its distribution is mainly restricted to central India, although stray records have been found elsewhere on the sub-continent. It is identified by its prominent crest and its overall rufous colouration. It has streaks on its breast which are less prominent than those found in the Oriental skylark.
It can imitate the calls of 34 other birds within its habitat.
Wikipedia contributors, Sykes's lark; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:55:34.382358+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Galerida deva (Sykes, 1832)
- Name authority
- (Sykes, 1832)
- Common name
- Sykes's Lark
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Galerida
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyAlaudidae Vigors, 1825
- genusGalerida F. Boie, 1828
- speciesGalerida deva (Sykes, 1832)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Galerida. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Large-billed LarkGalerida magnirostris (Stephens, 1826) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Thekla LarkGalerida theklae A. E. Brehm, 1857 | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Crested LarkGalerida cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Maghreb LarkGalerida macrorhyncha Tristram, 1859 | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Malabar LarkGalerida malabarica (Scopoli, 1786) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sun LarkGalerida modesta Heuglin, 1864 | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Alauda deva Sykes, 1832 Sykes, 1832 | synonym |
| Mirafra hayi Blyth, 1845 Blyth, 1845 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=560130 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3F4BH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.