LC
Mediterranean Short-toed Lark Alaudala rufescens



Justification

Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is large and does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
The species is considered to be common throughout its large range, but can be locally scarce (de Juana and Suárez 2021). Within its European range, Spain holds 230,000-260,000 pairs, with 10,000-20,000 pairs in the Canary Islands (BirdLife International 2021). Portugal further holds 10-100 pairs (BirdLife International 2021). This roughly equates to 480,000-560,000 mature individuals. The species is widespread in steppe country of Morocco, rare in Algeria, common in Tunisia and Egypt and are considered scarce to locally common in Israel and Jordan (de Juana and Suárez 2021). As such, although the population size has not been quantified elsewhere in its range, it is nevertheless considered to be fairly large, likely exceeding 500,000 mature individuals when combined with North African individuals, and is therefore placed here in the band of 500,000-999,999 mature individuals.

Trend justification
The species is suspected to be undergoing a decline. Decreases have been reported in much of Iberia and is considered threatened or near-threatened at local levels (BirdLife International 2021, de Juana and Suárez 2021). This is primarily due to ongoing threats such as habitat loss by agriculture, grazing pressure, tourism, and predation (de Juana and Suárez 2021). An exact rate of reduction is however difficult to determine.

Threats

Ongoing threats include habitat loss by agriculture (including conversion of steppe and semi-desert habitats to cultivation), grazing pressure, tourism, and introduced predators (including rats Rattus spp., cats Felis catus, and hedgehogs Erinaceus spp.)  (de Juana and Suárez 2021). These factors must continue to be closely monitored.

Conservation actions

Conservation Actions Underway
None are known. 

Conservation Actions Proposed
Monitor the impacts of ongoing threats. Monitor the population trend. Protect suitable habitat within the species's range.

Acknowledgements

Text account compilers
Fernando, E.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Mediterranean Short-toed Lark Alaudala rufescens. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/mediterranean-short-toed-lark-alaudala-rufescens on 05/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 05/01/2025.