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Shore Lark
last update: Mar 24, 2009 04:34 PM
Also known as the Horned Lark
Latin name: Eremophila alpestris
Population: 140 million individuals
Cites classified: Least Concern
Where found: Circumpolar distribution from Alaska through Canada to northern Scandinavia and across Russia
Age/ life expectancy: 8 years
Wingspan: 30-35 cm
Length: 14-17 cm
Weight: 30-45 cm
Mating/Breeding: Male residents establish and defend territories as early as January and February. The female selects the nest site, usually on open ground next to a clump of grass or other low feature. She also builds the nest, a slight depression lined with plant material such as grass. The nest often has a flat 'doorstep' of pebbles. The female incubates 3-4 eggs. Both parents feed the young. The young walk, run, and leave the nest well before they can fly. Pairs in lowland areas may have 2-3 broods per year, but high altitude/latitude pairs have only a single brood.
Eggs: 3-4 cream eggs, heavily speckled dark brown
Hibernation: migrates south to southeastern Europe, southern Russia, and central North America
Feed on: seeds supplemented with insects in the breeding season
Predators: raccoons, domestic cats, and skunks
Colour/Body: Unlike most other larks, this is a distinctive-looking species on the ground, mainly brown-grey above and pale below, with a striking black and yellow face pattern. The summer male has black "horns", which give this species its American name. America has a number of races distinguished by the face pattern and back color of males, especially in summer.
Interesting Trivia:
- The use of mowed areas around airstrips has allowed the Horned Lark to colonize regions where no other suitable habitat may exist nearby, such as heavily forested areas.
