species is named. The striking wing pattern of black wing feathers with a white base and trailing edge; and a white tail with black outer feathers are displayed in flight. The male also sings with rising and falling notes consisting of trilled whistles and clicks that have been transcribed as a tee-tee-tee followed by a prolonged tee-hoo while nosediving. The typical call is a rolling zreee or too. The nest is a cup made up of small sticks and placed on a low bush or on the ground, sometimes at the base of a bush. The nest is prominent and often placed on an isolated bush. Two or three eggs are laid and both sexes take turns in incubation. They feed on insects and other invertebrates, small lizards and seeds. Young birds are capable of swift running even before they can fly. The female may perform distraction displays when the young or nest are threatened. During the heat of the day, they may shelter in the burrows of Uromastyx lizards. The water loss through their skin varies with temperature and they are able to live in very arid conditions. Their breeding is dependent on the rains and in very dry years they may not breed. Distribution and populations The wide distribution consists of several populations that have been designated as subspecies. These include boavistae of the Cape Verde Islands, the nominate alaudipes of the north African Sahara region and northern Arabia. Subspecies desertorum has been assigned to the populations along the Red Sea coast while the eastern population of Iraq, Pakistan and north-western India are assigned to doriae. Forms like pallida and variety cinerea are included in doriae. Gallery References External links Photographs and videos - The Internet Bird Collection greater hoopoe-lark Birds of Cape Verde Birds of the Middle East Birds of North Africa Birds of Pakistan Greater hoopoe-lark Greater hoopoe-lark