Lark

A lark is a small bird that belongs to the family of Alaudidae and of order Passeriformes that includes a large number of bird species and sometimes also referred to as an order of singing or preaching birds. There are about 90 species of songbirds that are existing today in this family.  This bird has a range of proper habitat that is expanded throughout the globe and is found in almost all the countries as some species or the other. That’s why they are known for their cosmopolitan distribution. These species prefer to live in the dry regions but only one single lark species popularly known as a horned lark is found only in North America and another similar species known as Horsfield’s bush lark can only be seen in Australia. 

The larks occur throughout the continents known to the old world and only the horned and shore larks, scientifically known as Eremophila alpestris are considered as the new world species. Although when the term “lark” is used without specifying any species it by default refers to Eurasian skylark.  

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Taxonomy of Lark Bird

The family of the lark bird (Alaudidae) was first introduced by Irish zoologists named Nicholasaylward Vigors in the year 1825. It was introduced as a subfamily of Fringillidae also known as the Flinch family. Mostly because of their Tartus and well-defined shape, it is considered a well-defined family. On the hind side of their tarsie, it carries multiple scutes, rather than a single plate that was witnessed in most of the songbirds and preaching birds.

In the first checklist of the American Ornithologists’ union, the larks are placed at the beginning or near the beginning of the trail of songbirds just after the suboscines and before the swallows. Many of the other authentic and honourable authorities like in Handbooks of Birds of the World and the British Ornithologists’ Union have mentioned the same order of the placements of the larks. 

Much earlier in the “ Old World Warbler '' and other groups of “babblers' ' the larks have been studied at the finer level and were then placed at the beginning of the superfamily of Sylvioidea that included swallows as well. However few of the recent classifications follow the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy that has recognized larks as the largest oscine subgroup named as Passerida that also includes crow, vireos, shrikes and many other groups that are characterised as the dwellers of Australia and Southeastern Asia.

With the help of the modern molecular phylogenetic study, it has been established that the larks form a sister clan with its nearest family of Panuridae within the sylvivoidae. The  Panuridae contain a single species that is known as Panurus biarmicus commonly known as bearded reedling. There was a final rearrangement of the recognition of the pathology of the larks in the year 2013.

Description of Lark

Larks are considered birds of small to medium range as their body length ranges from 11 to 19 cm and their weight varies from 17 to 75g. They are known for their fairly long tail, legs and wings. It is believed that the straight long claws on their hind legs are usually constructed to provide stability while they are standing. Though the length of the claws depends upon the habitat of the lark species. Usually, long straight claws and toes are found among the species that mostly dwell in the soft ground that might have some vegetation whereas the short-clawed Larks are mostly the dwellers of the areas with hard ground.

The colour of their plumage ranges from reddish to brown to tan but mostly have streaked brown plumage mostly with bold marks of black and white. The colour of the plumage is cryptic so that their fader shade can actually camouflage with the ground and especially when they are in their nests. Depending on the species the larks molt twice a year and the juvenile larks do not have a very prominent colouration on them but it develops gradually as they are adults. All the larks feed initially on insects but then as an adult, their primary diet is the seeds. 

The parent larks feed their babies with small insects for the first few weeks till their bills become stronger and thicker. Most larks have long and curved-down shaped bills that are mostly used for digging. But few species of larks have very thick bills that are primarily used for crushing the seeds or opening a tough shell around the seed. The length of the beak varies from species to species but the length of the beak of a male is 20% more than that of a female. 

The lark birds are sexually dimorphic in nature though the two sexes resemble each other but the male lark is usually larger in size than the female lark and have a brighter tone, distinctive colour and darker markings on them that helps to identify them in feeding ecology. For instance, the razo lark biologically termed Alauda razae display sexual dimorphism as the size difference of male to female where the male is considerably larger than the female razo lark. 

The lark birds possess long tertial feathers and many other resembling features that relate them closely with the ground birds such as pipits. But in the larks, the lowest leg bone that is connected to its toe only has one set of scales that are present on the rare end of its legs and are rounded in shape. But the other singing birds have two such scales on the rare surface that is meeting the protruding rare edge of the legs.  

Types of Larks

There are as huge as 90 species of larks known so far. But there are few of the larks among the 90 species that are of primary importance and studies. Some of the important and famous species of larks are discussed below.

1. Skylarks: The skylark meaning is a scientific term is Alauda arvensis or alternatively known as Eurasian skylarks. The sexes of the skylarks are similar in their plumage except the male skylark bird is bigger in size than the female skylark bird. The length of the skylark ranges from 18 to 19 cm with their wing-span measuring around 30 to 36cm. The weight of the male skylark is around 27 to 55 gms whereas that of a female is about 17 to 47grms. Some of the skylarks have a grey to yellowish tone on the overall body. They have prominent black-brown plumage streaks. But the underbelly of all the skylarks is buff-white.

Skylarks are native to Asia, North Africa and Europe. Though the European population of skylarks does not migrate, the population of Eastern Asia migrated to Southern China and the eastern Palearctic migrants mostly to the Northern Mediterranean. They are the active dwellers of the meadows or the extensive croplands. They generally avoid the wooded areas or the areas with isolated trees. They mostly prefer low grass herbage or cereal grasslands.

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2. Horsefield’s Bush Lark: These species are the thickset bird that is short and small with the minimum and the maximum length ranging from 12 to 15cm. The average size of this bird is 13 cm with an average weight of 23 grams. They really have a short curved bill like that of a sparrow. The plumage of this species is centred-streaked with the base coat of the upper body is either brown, reddish or sandy in colour. It has a unique buff eyebrow with either mottled or streaked breasts. They usually roam on the ground bobbing their heads. But if disturbed they take a short flight with jerky swoops where they stretch their neck in order to hold the head high and the tail pointed downwards. Colloquially this species is also known as Australian, brown or singing Bushlark.

The native place of the Horsfield’s bush lark is the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia through Victoria of New South Wales, Queensland, Northern territory stretched to Shark bay through Northern Australia. These species are travellers to Tasmania. It also ranges from Nigeria to Arabia and India to the Malay Archipelago. They mostly like to dwell in the temperate grassland of tropical regions, open woodland to the cereal, crop or open sugarcane fields.

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3. Horned Lark: The scientific name of this species is Eremophila alpestris. The unique characteristics that give a special identity is a pair of turf that is black-feathered and is mounted on the top of their head. They resemble little horns and hence the name. Their face is either pale yellow or white in colour but they have long dark stripes that start from its bill run all through the eyes and end on both sides of the face. Their body coats are usually brown and their breasts are white with some black stripes. They have an average length of 18 to 20 cm with the length of the wing spread ranging from 31.12 to 35.56 cm. The male and the female of this species have almost the same pattern except that the females are a little dull in colour and brightness as compared to the male. The male usually weighs 32gms and the females weigh 30.6gms on average respectively. 

It has a wide span in entire North America but stretches its habitat to Asia and Northern Europe. It can be seen habitat throughout the western, central and eastern United States, throughout Northern and southern Canada and it even extends to Alaska. Many horned larks migrate to the gulf coast for several months during winters while some stay there around the year. It usually prefers to dwell in the open temperate lands without any obstacles like big trees. They are generally found in wide meadows, airports, fields, big lawns and wild tundras.

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4. Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark: The scientific name given to this species is Eremopterix griseus. They are the ashy crowned sparrow larks whose average length ranges from 11 to 14 cm.  The bill of this species is greyish black in colour but of a lighter shade and quite small and strong in appearance. They have plumage of a colour that is completely camouflaged with the ground and the nest. The male of this species is overall sandy brown in colour with a black belly, chin with striped eyes. They have a very well marked black and white pattern on their faces. In females, the cheek and the breasts are of brownish-white shade. The male, they have dark chocolate brown sides of the face and covers most of the underparts. Their tail is dark brown at the base with the body with white whiter brown outer feathers. The head of this species is usually paler but has a hue of dark brown to black. The heads of the females are comparatively paler than their male counterparts.

They are mostly found in India stretching from the foothills of the Himalayas to Sri Lanka and further to the Indus Valley River system that is in the west to east of Assam to avoid heavy rainfall areas. They prefer dry and open habitats like scrubland or semi-barren land, open cultivated land and fields. They have often seen dwelling in a large barren land, watersides, wastelands, bare ground and sand and tidal flat area of the coasts.

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Behaviour and Communication

Mostly all the larks are solidarity in nature but they mostly flock together in the agriculture field to feed and some of the others flock for migration post the breeding season. Some of them are nomadic while others are sedentary that migrates from one place to another according to the rainy season or the availability of food. Some of them are long-distance migrants. They are often seen in low density but flock in a large number for a high-quality habitat area.

They usually run and do not hop on the ground. They seldomly dwell on the trees or shrubs except for the occasion when they sing. Some of them take a bath in water and the rest of the others take a dusting bath to clean themselves. Usually, larks molt once or twice a year depending on the nature of the species. The larks that migrate to the desert area are often seen taking shelter in the grass tussocks during the hottest time of the day.

Larks feeding, flight, display and threat calls are quite simple by nature. However, during the breeding season, their territorial songs get quite elaborative. During the courtship display while the lark sings they raise the crest of feather on their head. 

Food Habits

They are basically omnivorous in nature and primarily feed on seed but the little ones are offered insects to eat for at least a week by their parents.  In addition to seeds, they also prefer to eat grasses, leaves, buds, flowers and various fruits available. Some of the species of this family also prefer to eat snails which they eventually break open on a rock as a hard surface for consumption. There has been a diverse range of lark species feeding on the various insects. One of the famous species in England is skylarks that are known to feed on 37 types of insects. 

The various shapes and sizes of the bills of lark species are constructed according to their dietary pattern. The species with the long curved bill are usually digging the soil to feed on insects and the larvas while other species with strong stout bills are for creaking and crushing the seeds for feeding. 

Reproduction

The larks are seasonal breeders and only breed in the seasons that have a high insect range or heavy growth and availability of seeds. A large number of species of Larks are monogamous where the females are involved in nesting, brooding and incubations while both the parents take part in feeding the young. During the courtship period, the male birds usually take flights or flaunt their plumage, bows or hop up and down on the ground repetitively. Though courtship feeding occurs rarely in some species, in most of the species the males sing and preach and in some, the females also sing during the pairing season. 

Some of the larks can have two or three clutches if they are dwelling in the high breeding season but the others with the limited breeding season can produce only one clutch. They are usually solidarity breeders and most often seen defending their nesting territory. Most of the larks build their nest on the ground which is more of an open cup nest in the hollows of the ground near to some clump of vegetation, rocks or mounds of the earth. While the others build their domed nests while the others build nests in a shrub to allow more air circulation and cooling of the nest. The nests are usually of tree bark, old leaves, straws, feathers, plant fibres etc.  

The eggs laid have a smooth surface with a white or light blue hue with some olive-brown or grey spots. The average size of an egg ranges from 19 to 23 by 13 to 17 mm. The clutch size is around 3 to 5, but it can be as low as one or as high as height depending upon the breeding seasons. The laying of eggs happens in an interval of a day. The incubation time of the eggs is around 10 to 16 days and they all hatch at one point in time. They are normally brooded for 4 days on average and the chicks are fed insects for almost 18 to 20 days. 

Conservation

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, two lark species are severely endangered, two are endangered, and four are vulnerable. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects a few species in North America. The species is threatened by dwindling habitats, deterioration and fragmentation, and poisoning from pesticides used on crops.

Summary: At a Glance

• Colour: Reddish to Brown with a bold mark of black and white [A colour similar to soil]

• Discovered By: Nicholasaylward Vigors in the year 1825

• Lifespan: Average 2 years [Longest lived for seven years]

• Weight: 17 to 75g

• Height: 11-19 cm

• Favourite Food: 

• Geographical Range: Aisa, North Africa, Europe 

• Habitat: Open grassy habitats, trees and shrubs

• Predators: Falcons, Owls, and Shrikes

• Diet: Omnivorous