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on our bed this afternoon; he cried himself to sleep (he did not want a nap) and stayed in this position
Rooineklewerik
(Mirafra africana)
The rufous-naped lark (Mirafra africana) or rufous-naped bush lark is a widespread and conspicuous species of lark in the lightly wooded grasslands, open savannas and farmlands of the Afrotropics. Males attract attention to themselves by their bold and repeated wing-fluttering displays from prominent perches, which is accompanied by a melodious and far-carrying whistled phrase. This rudimentary display has been proposed as the precursor to the wing-clapping displays of other bush lark species. They have consistently rufous outer wings and a short erectile crest, but the remaining plumage hues and markings are individually and geographically variable. It has a straight lower, and longish, curved upper mandible.
The rufous-naped lark is geographically very variable, and is taken to form a species complex with the allopatric red-winged lark of East Africa, and perhaps with the Somali lark. It is a smaller version of the first, with a finer bill and shorter tail, but their morphological and vocal features do not intergrade where their ranges meet. The rufous nape is an equivocal field character, being absent in the tropical races[8] and in some individuals.
Due to the inherent variability of the species, some of the 23–25 odd races are perhaps insufficiently distinct or clinal. Consequently, M. a. rostrata and M. a. zuluensis are sometimes merged with M. a. africana, and M. a. okahandjae with M. a. pallida. On the other hand, a few taxa are arguably incipient or full species. The distinctly plumaged blackish lark comprises races M. a. nyikae and M. a. nigrescens, and is altitudinally isolated from M. a. transvaalensis in nearby Tanzania. Malbrant's lark, M. (a.) malbranti, which ranges from Gabon to Angola, has a fairly distinct display flight, but may intergrade with M. a. kabalii in Zambia.
Sharpe's lark, M. (a.) sharpii, of northwestern Somalia, has almost plain, coppery red upper parts and is sometimes (e.g., by Sibley and Monroe) regarded as a separate and endangered species. Its small range of some 21,200 km2 is impacted by overgrazing and conversion to croplands. It may however be conspecific with Somali lark, M. (a.) somalica, which differs by its very long bill and white edges to the outer tail feathers. The Somali lark is sometimes considered a race of rufous-naped lark, but is alternatively deemed a full species in Mirafra or Certhilauda.
Twenty-three subspecies are recognized:
M. a. henrici Bates, 1930 is found from Guinea to south-western Ivory Coast.
M. a. batesi Bannerman, 1923 was originally described as a separate species. It is found from central Nigeria to south-eastern Niger and western Chad.
M. a. stresemanni Bannerman, 1923, the "Cameroon rufous-naped lark", was originally described as a separate species. It is found in north-central Cameroon.
M. a. bamendae Serle, 1959 is found in western Cameroon.
M. a. kurrae Lynes, 1923, the "Darfur rufous-naped lark", is found in western Sudan.
M. a. tropicalis Hartert, 1900, the "Uganda rufous-naped lark", is found from eastern Uganda and western Kenya to north-western Tanzania
M. a. sharpii Elliot, DG, 1897, or "Sharpe's lark", is also known as the "red Somali lark" or "Somali lark", but should not be confused with M. (a.) somalica. It was originally described as a separate species, and is found in north-western Somalia.[14]
M. a. ruwenzoria Kinnear, 1921, the "Rwenzori rufous-naped lark", is found from the DRC to south-western Uganda.
M. a. athi Hartert, 1900, the "Athi rufous-naped lark", is found from central Kenya to north-eastern Tanzania.
M. a. harterti Neumann, 1908, the "Ukamba rufous-naped lark", is also known as "Kikuyu rufous-naped lark". It is found in south-central Kenya.
M. a. malbranti Chapin, 1946, or "Malbrant's lark", was originally described as a separate species. It is found from Gabon to central Angola and the southern DRC.
M. a. chapini Grant, CHB & Mackworth-Praed, 1939 is found in south-eastern DRC and north-western Zambia.
M. a. occidentalis (Hartlaub, 1857), the "Gabon rufous-naped lark", is found in western Angola.
M. a. kabalii White, CMN, 1943 is found in north-eastern Angola and north-western Zambia.
M. a. gomesi White, CMN, 1944 is found in eastern Angola and western Zambia.
M. a. grisescens Sharpe, 1902, the "Matabele rufous-naped lark", was originally described as a separate species. Found in western Zambia, northern Botswana and north-western Zimbabwe.
M. a. pallida Sharpe, 1902, the "Damara rufous-naped lark", was originally described as a separate species. It is found in south-western Angola and north-western Namibia.
M. a. ghansiensis (Roberts, 1932) is found in eastern Namibia and western Botswana.
M. a. nigrescens Reichenow, 1900, the "Ukinga rufous-naped lark", was originally described as a separate species. It is found in north-eastern Zambia and southern Tanzania.
M. a. isolata Clancey, 1956 is found in south-eastern Malawi.
M. a. nyikae Benson, 1939 is found in eastern Zambia, northern Malawi and south-western Tanzania.
M. a. transvaalensis Hartert, 1900, the "Transvaal rufous-naped lark", is found from Tanzania to northern South Africa.
M. a. africana Smith, 1836 is found in south-eastern South Africa.
The rufous-naped lark is a fairly large and robust lark species,[3] with rather heavy flight. The sexes are similar, but males average larger and heavier. Adults are individually and geographically variable. It measures 15–18 cm from bill tip to tail tip[16] and weighs 40-44 g. The streaked upper parts, short erectile crest, creamy-buff eyebrow that merges with the lore, and the rufous flight feathers are easily discernible features.The hindcrown and nape are streaked along the feather centers while the margins vary from chestnut, rufous or pinkish buff to greyish brown. The wings appear conspicuously rufous in flight, while the outer edges of the primaries show up as a rufous panel on the closed wing. The underwing coverts are rufous, and upper coverts are broadly edged tawny or buff (or grey in race grisescens). The tail is dark brown, but the outer webs of the outer tail feathers vary from buff (cf. africana and sharpii) to tawny or bright rufous.The mantle is lighter brown than the back, and the rump still darker brown. The flanks are a shade darker than the rufous-buff belly, but regionally the plumage may also be stained red by soil. The throat is unmarked but the pale rufous upper breast is streaked and spotted darker brown. The eyes are hazel brown, the longish bill is blackish and pinkish, and the feet pink to pinkish brown. Juveniles have bold black spotting on the crown, mantle and wing coverts, all edged with buff, while the breast spotting is more blotchy or diffuse.
M. a. athi of the Kenyan highlands is typically coloured, but like other tropical races, lacks the rufous nape. Most accepted races are distinguished based on the colour of the back or underpart plumage, or the amount of streaking on the ear coverts and flanks. High altitude races M. a. nyikae and M. a. nigrescens, which occur above 2,000 meters, have very dark upper part plumages and increased flank streaking. M. a. tropicalis which is found above 1,000 meters has a solid rufous wash over the underparts. Of the southern African races, those in the southeast are the largest and darkest (cf. M. a. africana and M. a. rostrata), with a cline towards lightly streaked and pale pinkish plumages in the northwest.
The rufous-naped lark is found in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It has a very large but discontinuous[19] range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 5,600,000 km2. Its range is believed to be increasingly fragmented in the north, from which a declining population is inferred. The southern African population has not contracted in range or abundance, save for areas of extensive cultivation or urbanization. Livestock ranching is believed to have created bare patches in grasslands, which they favour. The populations of southern Mozambique and Swaziland have been estimated at >50,000 and 100,000 individuals respectively.
It tolerates a range of dry or mesic habitats, typically bushy grassland or sparsely wooded savannah. It also occurs along the fringes of marshes, in woodland clearings or in the fragmented ecotone of woodland and grassland. It is present from near sea level in the south, to about 3,000 meters near the equator. In Zimbabwe it occurs from 900 to 1,800 meters, and in East Africa from 1,000 to 3,000 meters. Termitaria, bushes, small trees or fence posts provide perches for display, while a combination of tall and short grass provides cover and foraging space. In southern Africa it occurs only sparsely in grassy fynbos, grassy karoo and upland sour grasslands, but has high reporting rates in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe, in miombo and in sweet or mixed grasslands.
The rufous-naped lark is sedentary, territorial and monogamous. It is often sluggish, allowing a close approach. Short distances are covered in low, level or undulating flight, or it may flee an intruder by running and dodging through grass haphazardly. It may be difficult to flush from grass, and is easily overlooked when not singing.
At any time of the year, but especially when the rains commence, a male will spend hours calling from a conspicuous perch. A clear, somewhat variable, whistled phrase of three to five syllables is typical, which may be rendered as tseep-tseeoo, teeoo-teewee or chiwiki-chiwi. The song may be changed after each 20 or so repetitions. During some intermissions the wings are audibly fluttered in the few seconds between phrases. This results in a quick prrrrt or phrrrp rattle, and may lift the bird off its perch. The crest is also lifted during display. It may alternatively sing a rudimentary song consisting of whistles, tweets and trills (distinguishable as imitated calls), during short flights over the grass or during an upward spiraling flight, before it planes down. Race malbranti in particular, may sing during a straight and direct display flight and clap its wings above its back. Perched males may also string together fragments of the songs of various grassland birds. It utters peewit, tweekiree or pree, pree notes in alarm.
Wikipedia
It's that special feeling, when we cuddle up with our favourite blanket, and all our troubles just disappear.
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A big thanks goes out to the model, my sister!
This was taken last week during one of Nora's naps. Our silly little girl just loves her sleep... but only if the world is exactly as she wants it to be. That means she likes to have a bottle, and have white noise, and be rocking. Her naps are definitely getting better in her crib, but somedays I'll just pop her in the car and go for a drive around the neighborhood, stopping at one of the nearby parks to enjoy the view. Can you blame me? This photo was taken with my phone from the driver's seat of the car, Nora sleeping in the back. This is a beautiful, beautiful city we live in, and after 6 1/2 years of living in it, it still takes my breath away.
Schroeder was taking a nap in the sunshine today and I thought I'd take some pictures. I liked the way the B&W conversion worked for this one.
An African lion’s life is all about napping, and resting with short bursts of intense activity, play, clawing at trees, followed by more sleeping that can total up to 21 hours a day! Lions are primarily nocturnal, although seem to be most active at twilight.
The African lion is the only large cat that is social. Lions live in groups which are called prides. All of a pride’s lionesses are related. At Lion camp, the Male is Izu. the two females are Oshana and Mina, and they are sisters.
Lions are the only members of the cat family to display obvious sexual dimorphism – that is, males and females look distinctly different. They also have specialized roles that each gender plays in the pride. For instance, the lioness, is the hunter, while the male Lion stands guard patrolling their territory to defend it from intruders.
Africa's lions are considered to be threatened by their environment because of habitat loss, loss of prey and increased human-lion conflicts, according to The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Hope you enjoyed my pics!
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Taken at: SDZ Safari Park
I went out with my buddy today and walked the city. Found some more sleeping people, this guy happened to be napping in Millenium Park. I think it turned out pretty well.
Having a good old hungover nap on our girly film watching, pizza eating, pyjama wearing, hot water bottle hugging, under-a-blanket sofa-day