Larks · Perching birds
Eurasian Skylark
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Alauda arvensis
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Voice
Call
Noé Ferrari
Alarm
Sonothèque ADVL
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
How to recognize it
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18–19 cm, slightly larger than a sparrow
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Grey-brown back, pale underparts, streaked breast
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Short blunt crest, pale eyebrow
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Often sings while hovering high above the ground
About the species
The Eurasian Skylark is a plain, neat-looking presence of open ground. It is easiest to notice not by color, but by the habit of rising into the air and singing while it hangs high above a field or meadow.
It spends much of its time on the ground, moving cautiously and slipping into cover in the grass. Up close the call is soft, but the song is a long, ringing trill, often delivered by the male in flight.
It needs meadows, steppe, fields, and grassy edges, especially places without trees. It feeds on seeds and insects, and in many areas it leaves for winter before returning very early in spring.
Where to find
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On vacant lots, new construction clearings, and wide city lawns, look for Eurasian Skylark feeding on the ground in quick runs through sparse grass.
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At the edges of fields, meadows, and broad roadside verges outside the city, the male gives itself away by rising steeply and singing for a long time overhead.
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On dry sandy patches and dusty paths, it often bathes in dust — fluttering its wings and hopping in place.
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On open grassy slopes and unmanaged open ground, it stays low and motionless in the vegetation, then bursts up almost from underfoot.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Alauda arvensis Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Eurasian skylark Encyclopedia article