A small ground-dwelling songbird with black "horn" tufts on the head, yellow face, and black throat patch. The most widespread North American lark and one of the most populous songbirds.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The horned lark or shore lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found across the northern hemisphere. It is known as "horned lark" in North America for distinctive feathers on the heads of the male birds in summer, and as "shore lark" in Europe because it can be found on shorelines in the winter.
Source: Wikipedia — Horned lark Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Sandy-brown lark with a black chest band, a black mask and 'sideburns', a yellow-and-white face, and tiny black feather 'horns' (often laid flat). Walks on open ground.
Similar species. Pipits and longspurs share open habitats but lack the bold black face pattern and horns; the face pattern is diagnostic.
Voice. A high, tinkling, twittering song given in flight high overhead; flight call a thin 'tsee-titi'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds, insects.
Behavior. A bird of bare open ground — fields, deserts, tundra, shores — that walks rather than hops and gathers in large winter flocks; one of the earliest songbirds to nest, sometimes in late winter snow.
§ Range
Across North America in open habitats
§ Habitat
Open fields, agricultural land, alpine tundra, deserts, shorelines
§ Threats
Grassland conversion to row crops, pesticide drift, vehicle strikes.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the horned lark is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Maintain shortgrass fields. Skip pesticides. Drive slowly on rural roads.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Horned lark
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Eremophila alpestris
- IUCN Red List — search for Eremophila alpestris
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Eremophila alpestris
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
