Brief SummaryRead full entry BiologyWith its life cycle wholly
dependent on infrequent showers of rain, the Raso lark has a
particularly precarious existence (2). During periods of
drought, one of the few sources of food and water for this
species is provided by the small subterranean bulbs of the
nutsedges, Cyperus bulbosus or Cyperus cadamosti. In order to
reach the bulbs, the Raso lark excavates shallow burrows in the
sandy soil using its strong bill (2) (4). Males appear to
consume more bulbs than the females, and the largest dominant
males usually form territories containing several productive
burrows, which they aggressively defend (4) (6). In contrast,
females are more reliant on surface food sources such as grass
seeds and insects (4). While the difference in bill size between
the sexes has previously been thought to account for the
differences in feeding behaviour (2) (3) (4), more recent
research has shown that this may not be the case (6). Despite
its smaller bill size, the female appears to be equ