Indian Bushlark

SCI Name:  Mirafra erythroptera
Protonym:  Mirafra erythroptera J.Asiat.Soc.Bengal 13(1844) p.958
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Alaudidae / Mirafra
Taxonomy Code:  indbus2
Type Locality:  northern portion of the Indian Peninsula.
Author:  Blyth
Publish Year:  1845
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MIRAFRA
(Alaudidae; Ϯ Horsfield's Bush Lark M. javanica) Horsfield made great use of Javanese names, but this does not appear to be one of them (cf. Malay name Merfa for a babbler (see Malacopteron)). According to Agassiz 1842-1846, mirafra is from a native tongue. Gotch 1981, writes that the name is from L. mirus wonderful, and Afra African; the first part of this etymology may be correct, but although most forms occur in the Afrotropics Horsfield’s Bush Lark does not; "MIRAFRA ... The characters in which this genus differs from Alauda are a more robust, conical and arched bill, round nares nearly naked, and a proportionally short claw to the posterior toe. The sides of the beak, between the back (culmen) and cutting edges (tomia) are somewhat convex. In this character it has greater affinity to Fringilla than to Alauda, the bill of which is often subulate (as in Sylvia), while the nares are covered.  Mirafra, although it greatly resembles Calandra, differs from it in possessing the spurious remex, and in having the four instead of the three first remiges elongated  ...  Mirafra Javanica ...  Branjangan Javanis." (Horsfield 1821); "Mirafra Horsfield, 1821, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, pt. 1, p. 159. Type, by monotypy, Mirafra javanica Horsfield." (Peters 1960, IX, 3).    
Var. Miraffra, Mirafa, Myrafra.   
Synon. Africorys, Amirafra, Anacorys, Brachonyx, Corypha, Croteoptera, Etoimus, Geocoraphus, Megalophonus, Neomirafra, Plocealauda, Spilocorydon.

mirafra
Genus Mirafra Horsfield, 1821, bush lark (syn. Mirafra javanica).

erythroptera / erythropteron / erythropterum / erythropterus
Gr. ερυθρος eruthros red; -πτερος -pteros -winged  < πτερον pteron  wing.
● ex “Crimson-winged Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Aprosmictus).
● ex “Podobé du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 354, and “Rufous-winged Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Cercotrichas podobe).
● ex “Petit Guêpier du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 318, “Guêpier rouge et vert du Sénégal” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Red-winged Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (?syn. Merops hirundineus (per Schmitt & Crémière 2008), syn. Merops pusillus).
● ex "Garnet-winged Pigeon" of Latham 1783 (Pampusana).