Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: ParaHoxozoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Olfactores
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Sauropsida
Cladus: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Neodiapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Cladus: Archelosauria
Cladus: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crocopoda
Cladus: Archosauriformes
Cladus: Eucrocopoda
Cladus: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Cladus: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Subclassis: Aves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Infraordo: Passerida
Superfamilia: Passeroidea
Familia: Alaudidae
Genus: Eremophila
Species: E. alpestris - E. bilopha
Name
Eremophila Boie, 1828
Typus
Alauda alpestris Linnaeus, 1758, eastern Canada, = Eremophila alpestris
References
Isis von Oken 21: 322.
Drovetski, S. V., Raković, M., Semenov, G., Fadeev, I. V., & Red'kin, Y. A. (2014). Limited Phylogeographic Signal in Sex-Linked and Autosomal Loci Despite Geographically, Ecologically, and Phenotypically Concordant Structure of mtDNA Variation in the Holarctic Avian Genus Eremophila. PLOS One 9 (1): 87570 pdf (note: shows that E. alpestris as currently circumscribed is paraphyletic with respect to E. bilopha).
Vernacular names
English: Horned larks
The bird genus Eremophila comprises the two horned larks.
Taxonomy and systematics
The current genus name is from Ancient Greek eremos, "desert", and phileo, "to love".[1]
Extant species
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Eremophila alpestris | Horned lark | Europe |
 |
Eremophila bilopha | Temminck's lark | Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and Western Sahara |
Extinct species
There is at least one fossil species included in this genus:
†Eremophila prealpestris (late Pliocene of Varshets, Bulgaria)[2]
Description
Unlike most other larks, these are distinctive looking species with striking head and face patterns, black and white in Temminck's lark and black and yellow in most horned larks. In the summer males of both species have black "horns", which give these larks their alternative names.
Distribution and habitat
These are larks of open country which nest on the ground. The migratory horned lark breeds across much of northern North America, Europe and Asia and in the mountains of Europe. Temminck's lark is mainly a resident breeding species across much of north Africa, through northern Arabia to western Iraq.
References
Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Boev, Z. 2012. Neogene Larks (Aves: Alaudidae (Vigors, 1825)) from Bulgaria - Acta zoologica bulgarica, 64 (3), 2012: 295-318.
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