Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Female or immature male)
Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Male)
Recordings 
Scientific Name 
Eremopterix nigriceps
Arabic Name 
القبرة سوداء التاج
Kuwaiti name 
قوبعة
Family 
Length 
12.0 cm
Least Concern
Kuwait Specialty

Information

Uncommon resident; breeds in Kuwait. Adult male is the most distinctive small desert lark. Often difficult to see in the arid emptiness of the desert. In some years breeding numbers may boom: up to 100 breeding pairs observed in summer 2006.
Where in Kuwait 
It inhabits arid and semi-arid plains with scattered grass and other low vegetation in areas like SAANR, but is also found in farmlands. The male is easily recognised by it’s distinctive black and white head pattern, consisting of a white forehead and cheeks on an otherwise black background.
In the world 
It has an extremely large range with an increasing population and occurs across North Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula and into Pakistan and India. Outside of the breeding season, it may forage in flocks of up to 50 individuals. During the breeding season, the male performs aerial displays over the breeding territory, rising steeply from the ground before circling and calling, then descending in a series of shallow swoops
Local threats 
Habitat loss and degradation