NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Obbia Lark
Spizocorys obbiensis Witherby, 1905
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.
Spizocorys obbiensis distribution map; using BlankMap-Africa.svg, based on http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=8163
Haller1962 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 320 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Obbia lark (Spizocorys obbiensis) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in central Somalia, where it is endemic. Its natural habitat is sub-tropical or tropical dry shrubland.
Formerly or presently, some authorities classified the Obbia lark as belonging to the genus Calandrella.
Wikipedia contributors, Obbia lark; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:00:31.078492+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Spizocorys obbiensis Witherby, 1905
- Name authority
- Witherby, 1905
- Common name
- Obbia Lark
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Alaudidae
- Genus
- Spizocorys
- 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
- genusSpizocorys Sundevall, 1872
- speciesSpizocorys obbiensis Witherby, 1905
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Spizocorys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Botha's LarkSpizocorys fringillaris (Sundevall, 1850) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sclater's LarkSpizocorys sclateri (Shelley, 1902) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Stark's LarkSpizocorys starki (Shelley, 1902) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pink-billed LarkSpizocorys conirostris (Sundevall, 1850) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Short-tailed LarkSpizocorys fremantlii (Lort Phillips, 1897) | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Masked LarkSpizocorys personata Sharpe, 1895 | AlaudidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
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.
- Witherby, Henry Forbes, and A. E. Hamerton. (1905). On a Collection of Birds from Somaliland. With Field-notes by the Collector. The Ibis, Vol. 5, No. 20. 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.
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:4Z9B3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.