See text The red-capped lark (Calandrella cinerea) is a small passerine bird that breeds in the highlands of eastern Africa southwards from Ethiopia and Somaliland.

The red-capped lark was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae.

The colour of the streaked grey to brown upperparts is variable, with subspecies differing in hue and brightness, but this species is easily identified by its rufous cap, white underparts, and red shoulders.

[8] The call of the red-capped lark is a tshwerp like a sparrow, and the song, given in the display flight, is a jumble of whistles and short trills.

In eastern Africa, it is found in the highlands, normally above 1000 m, but it occurs down to sea level in suitable habitat in the cooler south of its extensive range.