diagnostics
18-20 cm, 39-30 g. A large, long-billed savannah lark. Sexes alike but male slightly larger. Characterised by prominent cream supercilium from base of bill to nape, contrasting with dark brown eye stripe. Cheeks and ear coverts rufous to brownish buff and lightly streaked. Crown has dark, bold streaking and broad buffish brown to rufous margins. Hindneck with pale collar. Dorsal feathers and wing coverts rusty-brown with darker centres. A diagnostic feature is the broad rufous rump on which faint darker streaking can only be seen at close range. Tail light brown, central rectrices with broad tawny to rufous outer margins. Outer rectrices with buff margins. Flight feathers dusky with buff outer edges on outer primaries, becoming more tawny and rufous towards secondaries. Tertials with broad tawny to rufous-brown edges. Upper breast shows dark streaks. Fairly long, slightly decurved bill dark grey-brown with pale base. Eyes dark brown. Legs dark flesh to pale brown. Juvenile slightly more rufous and appears mottled (Herremans 2005).
