Liben Lark
CR

Liben Lark

Heteromirafra archeri

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Archer's lark, also known as the Liben lark, is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in Somalia, Somaliland, and Ethiopia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss. The bird's common name and binomial commemorate the British explorer and colonial official Sir Geoffrey Francis Archer.

Archer's Lark faces severe threats from habitat degradation caused by overgrazing by livestock, particularly cattle and goats, which destroys the sparse grassland vegetation it depends on. Agricultural expansion and conversion of its limited range to cropland further reduces available habitat. The species' extremely restricted distribution in the Borana Plateau of southern Ethiopia makes it exceptionally vulnerable to any local environmental changes or disturbances.

Threat summary

Habitat

Archer's Lark inhabits short grassland and sparse scrubland in the Borana Plateau of southern Ethiopia, typically at elevations between 1,000-1,500 meters. The species prefers areas with scattered acacia bushes and open ground with minimal vegetation cover.

Forest· majorGrassland· majorRocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Habitat & natural process restorationSpecies recoveryAwareness & communications

Other threatened species in ALAUDIDAE

VU

Red Lark

Calendulauda burra

Declining
EN

Sharpe's Lark

Mirafra sharpii

Declining
Botha's LarkEN

Botha's Lark

Spizocorys fringillaris

Declining
Rudd's LarkEN

Rudd's Lark

Heteromirafra ruddi

Declining

Threatened in Ethiopia

EN

Black-fronted Spurfowl

Pternistis atrifrons

Declining
EN

Isoglossa congesta

Unknown
VU

Ethiopian Hawker

Pinheyschna waterstoni

Declining
VU

Disperis galerita

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Liben Lark classified as Critically Endangered?
Liben Lark is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Archer's Lark faces severe threats from habitat degradation caused by overgrazing by livestock, particularly cattle and goats, which destroys the sparse grassland vegetation it depends on. Agricultural expansion and conversion of its limited range to cropland further reduces available habitat. The species' extremely restricted distribution in the Borana Plateau of southern Ethiopia makes it exceptionally vulnerable to any local environmental changes or disturbances.
Where does Liben Lark live?
Liben Lark occurs in Ethiopia, and Somalia. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Liben Lark?
The main threats to Liben Lark are 11.2, 2.1, 2.3, and 5.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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