Horned Lark

Eremophila alpestris

With its distinctive "horns" and melodious song, this adaptable songbird thrives in open habitats across the Northern Hemisphere.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Horned Lark is a small, ground-dwelling bird with a distinctive appearance. It has a pale face with a black mask and breast band, contrasting with its brown upperparts and white underparts. The bird's namesake 'horns' are small, black feather tufts visible on the heads of male adults.

Males are more brightly colored than females, with bolder black markings and a yellow throat. Females lack the prominent ear tufts of males, and appear more sparrowlike.

Juveniles lack the black mask and have a scaly appearance on their upperparts. Winter plumage is generally duller in both sexes.

Size

Length

16cm to 20cm

Wingspan

31cm to 35cm

Weight

28g to 40g

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Brown White Black

Secondary Colour

Yellow

Beak Colour

Grey

Leg Colour

Black

Primary Colour (Female)

Brown White

Secondary Colour (Female)

Black

Beak Colour (Female)

Grey

Leg Colour (Female)

Black

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Horned Lark can be found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Horned Lark can be found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Horned Lark can be found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Horned Lark is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Horned Larks inhabit open areas with sparse vegetation, including prairies, tundra, deserts, and agricultural lands. They are widely distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia, with populations found from the Arctic to temperate regions.

In North America, they are year-round residents in much of the United States and southern Canada, with northern populations migrating south for winter.

In the UK, they are primarily winter visitors to coastal areas. Individual birds may frequently be spotted in migration along the Scottish coast but settle further south, particularly in coastal regions of eastern England. Norfolk has a particularly strong trend of sightings, with Holkham and Salthouse being good spots to visit.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 5,400 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Arctic, Subarctic

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Horned Lark. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons