Greater Hoopoe-Lark

The Greater Hoopoe-Lark (scientific name: Alaemon alaudipes) is a very common resident breeding bird in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It nests in most of the deserts of Saudi Arabia, including extremely arid sandy deserts, while avoiding the relatively humid western highlands. Its activity is mainly concentrated in Imam Saud Bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (Mahazat al-Sayd) in Makkah al-Mukarramah Province, west of Saudi Arabia.

The greater hoopoe-lark measures between nineteen and twenty-three cm in length and weighs between thirty and fifty-one g. It is highly adaptable to desert life and is likely the only small bird capable of nesting throughout al-Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter).

The greater hoopoe-lark inhabits open areas at altitudes below 1,800 m, including sandy and gravel plains, lava fields, sand seas, coastal plains, beaches, farms, irrigated fields, parks, gardens, agricultural areas, and open forests. It is a breeding bird in Saudi Arabia, with an estimated six hundred thousand breeding pairs annually.

The species is recorded among 550 bird species documented in Saudi Arabia, including 219 breeding species, 280 migratory species, and fifty-one vagrant species. Additionally, twenty-seven species are globally threatened with extinction. Saudi Arabia is home to nineteen endemic and near-endemic bird species of the Arabian Peninsula, as its geographic location between East Asia, Europe, and Africa makes it one of the world's most important bird migration routes.

Greater hoopoe-larks feed on invertebrates, along with some green plants and seeds. Occasionally, they consume small lizards and other juvenile vertebrates. They dig into the sand up to a depth of five cm to extract food. The species has been observed breaking snail shells by dropping them or striking them against rocks.

The greater hoopoe-lark forms socially monogamous territorial breeding pairs, nesting alone, in pairs, or sometimes in family groups. The female constructs the nest and incubates the eggs, while both parents collaborate in caring for the young. The nest is bowl-shaped, made of twigs or grass, and lined with fine grass, fibers, and plant down, sometimes incorporating seed heads, wool, fabric, or paper. It is placed either in a shallow ground depression—exposed or under a shrub—or thirty cm above the ground on a nest base made of sticks atop a low shrub.

The species typically lays three eggs, with an incubation period of fourteen days and a nesting duration of twelve to thirteen days. The greater hoopoe-lark is opportunistic, producing a second clutch in years of abundance, while some pairs may forgo breeding in dry years.

Scientifically, the greater hoopoe-lark is classified as a species of least concern both globally and regionally. While its global population trend is declining, its regional population trend remains stable.

Globally, the greater hoopoe-lark is classified as a resident species, found across the desert belt of North Africa, extending through the Arabian Peninsula and reaching northwestern India.