Taxonomy of Greater Hoopoe-Lark Alaemon aludipes - does song support an African-Asian divide?

Abstract: The Greater Hoopoe-Lark (Alaemon alaudipes) is a sedentary bird distributed from Cape Verde and Northwest Africa to India. Four subspecies are usually recognized (A. a. alaudipes, A. a. doriae, A. a. desertorum, and A. a. boavistae), with molecular evidence pointing to a deep mitochondrial difference between two of the subspecies (Western A. a. alaudipes and A. a. desertorum). My aim in this study was to perform the first comprehensive analysis of the Greater Hoopoe-Lark’s song, to study the vocal variation across its distribution, in order to get insight in its taxonomical status. 82 songs from 27 individuals were sampled with raven pro with the data gathered from open source song-banks. I conclude that compositional differences are present between different populations, this mainly being the different incorporation of a trill in the song. These differences also relate to western and eastern populations of A. a. alaudipes. My results are in line with the molecular evidence, that indicates a species split between African and Middle Eastern/Asian populations, but the sample size and representation of all subspecies in my dataset are insufficient, and the results should therefore be considered to be preliminary and setting a ground for more extensive genetic and vocal analyses.